Wife Swap
by ijustkeepswimming
Summary: Charlie and Joey meet on reality TV...
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! Welcome to my new story! I really hope you like it. The basic idea is that Charlie and Joey meet on the programme 'Wife Swap', which I used to watch with rather avid fascination, I must admit. It will flit between time and this is the introduction. Feedback always appreciated! And I'm sure it goes without saying but most of the characters belong to Home and Away and the initial concept of the TV show is not mine - it belongs to the people behind the real show. With no further ado, I hope you enjoy it. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter One**

_Present Day_

Senior Constable Charlie Buckton sat on the sofa, feeling nervous as she waited for her television debut. She and her boyfriend, Constable Angelo Rosetta had been having problems and in order to try and save their relationship, they had decided to participate on a reality TV show called _Wife Swap_. The idea had been that they would get such a shock with different families that they would learn to appreciate what they had. They wanted to learn to appreciate each other more. And now, their episode was airing. The opening credits rolled and the camera zoomed in on their little house.

"Thirty year-old police officer, Charlie Buckton lives in Summer Bay with her partner of five years, Angelo Rosetta and her teenage daughter, Ruby," the narrator explained.

Charlie and Angelo could be seen walking along the beach together and Ruby could then be seen laughing with her mother. The cameras had followed them around for a whole day to try and capture who they were and the essence of their family life. It had been hard to act naturally around the cameras at first but Charlie hoped she and her family had succeeded. On the other end of the sofa, Ruby was growing more and more excited at being on television.

"Angelo, also thirty, is also a police officer, one rank below his partner. He and Charlie met while working together and moved in together three years ago."

The screen showed Charlie and Angelo at work. Georgina Watson could be seen hiding in the background, not wanting her face to appear on TV. Charlie couldn't help but smile.

"Charlie's daughter Ruby is sixteen years old and studying at the local high school."

Ruby appeared in her school uniform, chatting with her boyfriend Xavier and her friends Annie, Jai, Nicole and Geoff.

"Charlie became pregnant when she was just fourteen years old and has raised Ruby, with the help of her father Ross, a retired Detective," the narrator continued.

Charlie glanced at her father, sitting in the arm chair. He turned pink as his image appeared on screen. Charlie and Ruby chuckled.

"And her late mother," the narrator finished.

Charlie and Ruby held hands for a brief moment. Charlie's step-mother, Morag, tried not to feel left out.

* * *

><p>"Further up the coast, live Melanie Carpenter, her female partner, Joey Collins and their housemate, Samantha Darling."<p>

In her own home, Mel watched the screen avidly as she and her family stood outside the house together and waved. Everything had changed after the swap and she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it.

"Twenty-five year old Mel owns a beauty parlour, bought for her when she was twenty-one in a bid to encourage her to settle down," the narrator explained. "She employs best friend Sam, also twenty-five while Joey, twenty-six, runs her own tour guide business."

* * *

><p>The screen showed Mel and Sam at work and then Joey and her best friend, Aden Jeffries, on Joey's boat. On the sofa, the business woman shifted but remained enthralled. It had been Mel's idea to go on the show and none of them had ever known what it would bring them and how it would change their directions in life. Joey hadn't really wanted to do it but as ever, she'd wanted to make Mel happy.<p>

"Charlie and Mel have agreed to swap partners, homes and children to find out what they can learn from the experience," the narrator explained to the nation.

* * *

><p>Charlie watched Mel's goodbye to her family with interest. She'd squeezed Sam tightly and passionately kissed Joey. Ruby giggled as she watched Charlie hug Angelo goodbye and kiss his cheek before holding onto Ruby so tightly she'd nearly squeezed the life out of her.<p>

"I didn't want you to forget me!" Charlie told her with a grin.

Ross shook his head and chuckled as he watched each family saying goodbye to each other.

* * *

><p>"What happens when the wives take the idea of swapping, a little too seriously?" the narrator asked.<p>

Joey blanched as there was a shot of her and Charlie holding hands and gazing at each other lovingly. Charlie pulled a face when they showed a rather scantily clad Mel leave the room Charlie shared with Angelo.

* * *

><p>"And what happens when a teenage daughter discovers that her mother has been betrayed?"<p>

Ruby felt rather proud of herself as she saw footage of herself packing up and storming to Xavier's house in search of refuge from Angelo and Mel. She'd reached the end of the path and given them the finger before Xavier's future sister in law, Martha, arrived to collect her. Charlie couldn't help but snort with laughter. She was very proud of her girl.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... twelve weeks ago, Charlie, Angelo and Ruby prepare to let the film crew into their lives, revealing all about their family dynamics...<em>


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you everyone for your lovely comments on this story so far. I wrote it ages ago so I'm extra nervous about posting! Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Two**

_Twelve Weeks Ago..._

Charlie Buckton was nervous as she waited for the producer and crew to arrive in her house. It had all started a couple of months before when she, Angelo and Ruby had been watching Sunday night television. It had included _Wife Swap _and Angelo had commented idly that it looked like it would be fun to appear on a show like that. Charlie had immediately dismissed him but later that night, in bed before they went to sleep, Angelo had brought it up more seriously. They'd been having problems for a while. Work took over both their lives and Angelo had an in-built resentment over Charlie and Ruby turning to each other before they even thought of turning to him. It was a hard bond to break and he hadn't achieved it yet. Ruby was the most important thing in Charlie's world and he knew he would never measure up. With problems, came insecurities and both Charlie and Angelo had so far failed to fix them. The show had been a last ditch attempt to make things work.

Last time they'd encountered problems such as these, where they didn't appreciate each other or spend much time together, Angelo had had a one night stand with a woman called May. It had nearly torn them apart but Angelo had just about managed to convince Charlie that he loved her and regretted what he'd done. He'd excused himself by explaining that she hadn't gone near him in months and he missed her so much that he'd found solace in someone else. It had made Charlie feel significantly guilty that she'd welcomed him back, albeit, a little tentatively.

And things had been okay until now. Not wanting to lose Angelo or have him stray to another again, Charlie had agreed that this kind of show might help them. So many wives and families were subjected to crazy, incompatible other wives and families that they learnt to appreciate what they had and both Charlie and Angelo hoped that this would happen for them, although neither was relishing the idea of ending up with a bunch of crackpot.

"Mum, it'll be fine," Ruby said.

Charlie had bitten her nails down to the quick and she kept rearranging the plate of biscuits she'd set out on the coffee table for their guests. Charlie nodded and smiled gratefully at her daughter who came to sit beside her. Angelo remained in the armchair without speaking. Charlie leapt up when there was a knock at the door and she hurried to answer it.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Nicholas Martin, a producer of <em>Wife Swap <em>was sitting in the living room with a sound technician and a camera man, who were both tucking into biscuits. Nick had explained that they would be doing some preliminary filming today to get an idea of who Charlie, Angelo and Ruby were and what they got up to in their day to day lives. He told them that they would also be interviewing them separately to find out more about their individual personalities and take on life. Nick handed over a sheet of paper to Charlie.

"These are the questions for the manual," he told her. "You've got a week to fill them out. Please put in as much detail as you can. Angelo's new wife will need it to slip into your shoes and familiarise herself with your home, okay?"

Charlie nodded and accepted the paper. She gave it a quick scan. Nothing looked terribly difficult but she would give it a proper look later.

"Okay, let's get started," Nick said brightly.

He stood up, as did his crew.

"If you guys can just carry out your day as if we're not here," he said. "If it's completely normal, then we can follow you around and get some good footage."

* * *

><p>By the afternoon, Charlie had been filmed doing Saturday chores, Ruby had convinced her on film to let her go and spend time with Xavier, and Angelo had washed the car. The couple had had lunch together and struggled to make conversation, partly because they didn't have so much to say to each other these days and partly because they were nervous of being filmed. Now, Charlie was sitting on the edge of her bed in her room answering questions about herself, her family and her life.<p>

"Can you just give us a short biography?" Nick asked.

Charlie nodded a little uncertainty.

"Well, I grew up in the city," she ventured. "I lived with my Mum and my Dad and then when I was fourteen, I got pregnant."

She was keen to glaze over the details of her pregnancy. Having been raped, something very few people knew, it had been the worst time of her life. The only comfort she could take from it all was that she had her beautiful baby girl who she loved more than life.

"It wasn't an easy time," she said. "But Ruby's the best thing to ever happen to me. I was lucky enough to have a lot of support through it all and my parents were both really involved in raising Ruby with me. They were great babysitters and helped me juggle school and then police training with raising my daughter."

"Is Ruby's father involved in your lives?" Nick asked.

"No," Charlie said quickly.

Nick nodded.

"What happened after you graduated from police training?" he wanted to know.

"I moved out, rented a place with Rubes. I was twenty by then and she was six. I started working and I've moved up the ranks a little – not as much as I'd like but I'm getting there. I'm a Leading Senior Constable at work now," Charlie explained.

She took a breath, still feeling nervous.

"When my mother died, my father was lost for a long time," she continued. "He eventually met someone else, my step-mother Morag and moved here to Summer Bay. He and I have always been very close and there was a chance for a promotion here so I took Ruby and we moved here seven years ago."

"How did you meet Angelo?"

"We met at work. He's a Senior Constable and we were partnered together fairly early on," Charlie said.

It felt quite nice to talk about the old days.

"When you work that closely with someone, you end up spending a lot of time together. You trust each other."

She felt sad that she wasn't entirely sure she trusted him now. She knew that was what was driving her to do the show.

"I was dating another guy and Angelo was with another girl but we both became single at the same time and it just... it just kind of happened from there," Charlie said. "We've been together for five years now, on and off and... yeah, it's good."

"When you say 'on and off'?" Nick probed.

"We're both pretty volatile people, I guess. We don't argue that much but when we do, we tend to do it properly."

She managed a laugh.

"Are you happy together?" Nick asked.

Charlie wanted to say yes but it stuck in her throat.

"Well, we're kind of doing this whole show in a bid to save our relationship," she admitted. "We haven't been getting on so well lately and as much as I love him, I think even he'll admit that we're pretty fragile."

"How do you think bringing another woman into your home to be Angelo's partner will help?"

"I'm hoping it'll be someone horrible!" Charlie laughed. "Then maybe he and I will learn to appreciate each other and what we have."

* * *

><p>Ruby arrived back home just as Charlie was exiting her interview and heading back down the stairs.<p>

"Who's turn is it next?" Charlie asked.

"Angelo?" Nick suggested, wanting to give Ruby a chance to get in and settled. "Maybe we can shoot out in the back garden."

Angelo nodded and followed the film crew, leaving Charlie to make herself and Ruby a coffee.

"How did it go?" Ruby asked.

"It was okay," Charlie said. "Some of it was a little personal but it was alright."

She sat down with her daughter.

"Did they ask about... you know?" Ruby worried.

"They asked if he was involved in our lives but I just said no," Charlie assured her. "He didn't ask anymore than that."

She and Ruby had decided not to mention Ruby's conception unless it felt particularly appropriate. Charlie had only ever told Ruby and her parents what had happened to her as a teenager. Not even Angelo knew that she'd got pregnant by force, not choice. He had a vague idea that it hadn't been a good experience but Charlie had never managed to open up enough to tell him. She didn't particularly want the whole world knowing that she was a rape victim and Ruby didn't especially want anyone to know that her biological father was evil. She'd told Xavier the truth but that was all. It was a private thing. It was for family.

* * *

><p>"Charlie struggles to let me in," Angelo said. "We don't have the most ideal living situation, not for me anyway."<p>

"In what way?" Nick asked.

"It's usually a case of Charlie and Ruby and then me," Angelo explained. "They usually team up with each other. And I guess they've had to, what with Charlie being a single mother and raising Ruby when she was just a kid herself."

"Who does what in your house?" Nick asked.

"We pretty much share everything when it comes to housework stuff. I'm not one of those guys who believes in 'women's work' or anything. I'm as happy doing DIY as I am doing dishes and laundry. I'm not much of a cook though, I must admit. Nor is Ruby. That's pretty much Charlie's area of expertise so I hope whoever comes here can knock together a decent meal!"

He chuckled and smiled at the camera.

* * *

><p>Ruby sat in the kitchen while Charlie and Angelo tried not to listen to what she was saying. Unable to stop eavesdropping, Charlie directed them both upstairs in order to stay out of the way. It didn't feel right to listen in on an interview. They'd find out what she said when the episode aired, or if Ruby chose to tell them when the film crew was gone.<p>

In the kitchen, Ruby explained and she and her mother fully relied on each other and loved each other completely. She said she liked Angelo but he wasn't really a father to her, explaining that she'd never had a father and didn't need one. Her mother was perfectly good enough to fulfil every necessary role. She told Nick about her boyfriend, who she had been dating for a couple of years and expressed a desire to stay with him. Her intention in life was to be a lawyer, like her step-grandmother, Morag who she admired a great deal. She thought being a cop was a little dangerous and violent for her, although she also respected and admired her mother. She revealed that when her Mum was on a nightshift, she hardly slept and couldn't help but worry about her. She was sure that if she lost her, she'd lose everything.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Joey and her family introduce themselves to the film crew...<em>


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_Still Twelve Weeks Ago..._

Several hundred miles away, Joey Collins finished getting changed, wanting to look smart for the camera crew arriving at her house. She had spent the whole of the previous day cleaning the place from top to bottom. She'd even taken the day off to do so. Neither Mel nor Sam were really into cleaning and Joey was not prepared to have a dirty house on television. She'd prepared a plate of biscuits for the producer, Sophie Matthews and her crew. Trotting down the stairs and buttoning her shirt, she scolded Mel and Sam for tucking into the biscuits.

"They're for the crew!" she protested.

Mel and Sam mimicked her and giggled. They hadn't expected Joey to be so high maintenance about this whole thing. A knock on the door sent Joey's two cats, Indigo and Ruby fleeing for hiding spots upstairs and Joey headed to the front door to open up. She politely welcomed Sophie, a sound technician and a cameraman into the house, shaking hands with each of them in turn and inviting them to sit down. Mel and Sam leapt up to make themselves known to the film crew. Both had dressed up in their best and most provocative clothes, wanting to look hot on screen. Once more, Joey wondered if participating in the show was such a good idea. Mel had never exactly been the most faithful of girlfriends and she wasn't entirely convinced that sending her off to live with who she presumed would be some guy, was such a good idea. When it came to gender and sexuality, Mel did not discriminate. She believed that she and Joey had an understanding about how they conducted their lives but if she was being honest, Joey hardly understood her girlfriend's behaviour at all. She never had. It was a surprise that they had lasted over three years together. Sitting in the lounge together, Sophie introduced herself and explained the procedure. They opted to get started right away and filmed various shots of the house, which homeowner Joey was rather proud of. Saturdays usually consisted of Sam and Mel going out shopping but today they resisted and hung out watching a DVD together. Joey began watching it with them but was then sent off to make lunch for everyone. Usually she only made lunch for herself and the girls but she couldn't bear not to feed the crew. It just didn't seem hospitable.

* * *

><p>After lunch, Mel took her spot in the limelight with pride. Sitting in her bedroom, she chatted away to the camera about her life and values. Sophie tried not to judge as Mel explained that her father had bought her a salon business, which had been running into trouble for a while until Joey had started helping her with the accounts. She stated that sex was her number one priority in life and that Joey was the best lover she'd ever had. She'd added with a wink that she'd had a lot of lovers.<p>

"How long have you and Joey been together?" Sophie asked.

"Just over three years," Mel explained. "We have an understanding where I can basically sleep with who I want because even though Joey is incredible in bed, she doesn't have as high a sex drive as me."

Laughing, she added that she didn't think _anyone _had as high a sex drive as she did.

"So, you and Joey aren't monogamous?" Sophie queried.

"Joey is," Mel said. "But I'm not. But that's okay. She'd rather me sleep with other guys or girls than keep pestering for constant hanky panky!"

She laughed again and then began to explain how the house was run. It was specifically run by Joey. Sophie tried not to pull a face at her shrill laughter.

* * *

><p>Next in line to have her interview was Joey but Mel and Sam interjected and asked that Sam go next so that they could go to the pub.<p>

"You can join us later," Mel said sweetly to Joey, kissing her cheek.

Joey nodded, smiled and told Sam she could go ahead. She went upstairs with the crew to her room in order to tell her side of their story. Joey flopped back onto the sofa. Mel snuggled up next to her.

"Do you think we have time for a quickie?" she smirked.

"I doubt it," Joey said. "I'm not sure I want to get caught on camera!"

She laughed but Mel was undeterred. She kissed Joey's lips and neck, undoing her buttons and reaching inside her shirt. Joey attempted to resist but Mel was persistent. She ran her hands over Joey's body and straddled her lap. Joey kissed her in return and held onto her waist.

* * *

><p>"Our house is pretty fun," Sam said. "Mel and I have been best friends since we were kids. We get on really well. It's pretty cool."<p>

She smiled directly into the camera.

"How's your relationship with Joey?" Sophie asked.

"Well, we're not the best of friends but we get on," Sam informed her. "I think she's a bit jealous of how close Mel and I are. And I think she thinks that because Mel's bi and I'm gay and she goes off with other people, that she's gone off with me."

Sophie nodded.

"She hasn't, by the way," Sam added quickly. "We're nothing more than friends."

She offered a winning smile again and began to talk about why life in their house was just so fun.

* * *

><p>Mel shrieked in delight when she and Joey got caught making out. Joey had taken things as slowly as she could get away with. She hadn't wanted her and Mel to get caught out doing anything too naughty. Buttoning up her shirt, she watched Mel make a show of putting her top back on. Mel smirked happily at the camera and then grabbed Sam and her handbag and skipped out to the pub. A little flushed and embarrassed, Joey prepared to face the camera. Sophie and the crew set up in front of her and Joey began to answer questions.<p>

"So, it looks like you're the leader of the house," Sophie said.

"Hardly!" Joey laughed. "I don't get a say in anything!"

"Can you tell us about that?"

"I cook, I clean, I run my business and help Mel run hers but... Mel and Sam are the ones in charge," Joey explained, perching on the edge of the sofa.

"Are you happy with that?" Sophie asked.

Joey shrugged. She hadn't really put a lot of thought into it. This was just her life. Before she'd met Mel, she'd been on her own a lot. She'd had flings and the odd one night stand but she'd never done the whole committed relationship thing. Her longest standing relationship was with her best friend, Aden. They had known each other since they were teenagers and knew everything about each other. He was one of the only people in the world that she trusted and opened up to. She didn't find it easy to be forthcoming about her past and she was at least partly grateful that Mel never asked.

"I guess it'd be good to have a more equal relationship," she mused. "I wouldn't mind a day off housework now and again. Cleaning up after three adults, running a business and working part time for another one isn't the easiest task in the world but..."

She shrugged again.

"It's just the way it works, I suppose."

"Can you tell us more about this 'understanding' that you and Mel have."

Joey pulled a face.

"I understand that I have to put up and shut up when it comes to Mel sleeping with other people," Joey said unhappy. "She's insatiable. To be honest, it's kind of hard to keep up. But then after me, she likes to go with other people – men and women. I'm not happy about it. Mel seems to think I don't mind but to be honest, I really do. But no matter how much I tell her that, she doesn't really listen."

* * *

><p><em>Next time... back in present day, from their various locations, the stars of reality television watch the next part of the show...<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_I was deliberately evasive as to who was watching the show with who but it'll all become clear in this one. Well done to those who got it right! I hope you enjoy the chapter. This one is a bit short but we'll be delving further into the story from now. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Four**

_Present Day_

Charlie kept her eyes glued to the screen as the narrator introduced her family. There were several shots of each of them doing various chores, which they shared. Angelo appeared on screen.

"I'm not one of those guys who believe in 'women's work' or anything," he said. "I'm as happy doing DIY as I am doing dishes and laundry. I'm not much of a cook though, I must admit. Nor is Ruby. That's pretty much Charlie's area of expertise so I hope whoever comes here can knock together a decent meal!"

He chuckled and smiled at the camera. Next, over some footage of Charlie and Ruby together, the narrator explained that Charlie had given birth to Ruby when she was just fourteen. In their interviews, Charlie and Ruby explained that they were very bonded and Ruby stated that Angelo was not much of a father to her. On the couch, Charlie looked away from the television at her daughter, worrying that Ruby hadn't been happy all this time. Then she beamed as on screen, her daughter declared that she didn't need a Dad because she had an amazing Mum. Angelo reappeared on screen looking unhappy.

"Charlie struggles to let me in," he said. "We don't have the most ideal living situation, not for me anyway."

On screen, there was more footage of Charlie and Ruby messing around together and having a nice time. The narrator's attention turned to describing Charlie and Angelo's relationship. He explained that they had been together for five years on and off and then cut to Charlie describing how they had got together.

* * *

><p>Watching the programme, Angelo couldn't help but feel a little sad watching himself and Charlie together. As much as, at that time, he hadn't been terribly happy, he had loved Charlie. He still did. He couldn't help it. And shots of them as a family, shots of them being a couple made him nostalgic to say the least. Sighing heavily, he continued to watch.<p>

* * *

><p>This was the part that Joey had been dreading. She distinctly remembered being caught making out with Mel on camera and she hated the idea of it being filmed, although she knew Mel would really enjoy it. She'd been interested to see Charlie's family life and how she was before they had met. The narrator introduced Mel, Joey and Sam, viewing their home and introducing how they lived. There was a heavy emphasis on the fact that Joey did all the housework and that Mel relied on her to help manage her business.<p>

* * *

><p>Watching with Sam, Mel looked horrified and felt humiliated.<p>

"I look like a fucking sex mad, lazy, spoilt bitch!" she bellowed.

Sam remained quiet as Mel ranted about being misrepresented, pacing the floor.

"Sit down," Sam said tiredly. "Even if you want to yell at them, you can't do it now. The office is closed."

Unhappily, Mel flopped back down on the sofa and watched with hidden pride at the shot of her and Joey getting caught out.

* * *

><p>In the lounge, Charlie turned to her left and raised her eyebrows at Joey who was blushing profusely under the gaze of her girlfriend, her girlfriend's daughter and her girlfriend's parents. She cringed as she watched herself and Mel fixing their clothes. Having already learnt exactly what Mel was like, Charlie smiled at Joey and put her arm around her. They snuggled up together as they watched themselves say goodbye to their families for two weeks that would change their lives.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Charlie spends her last night with her family, Mel does the same and then the women swap lives...<em>


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_Ten Weeks Ago..._

Charlie was nervous as she packed her bags in front of the cameras. It was the day before she was due to leave home and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to back out. She expressed nerves on screen and admitted that she didn't know what to expect.

"What if I end up with someone horrible?" she worried. "I mean, you like to do things in opposites, don't you? What if you put me with a bunch of criminals or something? What if the new wife is evil and hurts my baby girl? What if she...?"

Charlie eventually ran out of steam. She took a few breaths and continued packing. She wanted to be done in time for Angelo and Ruby getting home so that she could spend her last night with them. They had a takeaway and DVD planned and she hoped that it would all go nicely. She would miss her home, her family and her friends for the next two weeks and felt worried about where she would end up.

* * *

><p>Joey had helped Mel pack up her stuff for her trip and they, along with Sam had planned to go out to dinner together. Joey wondered what her new wife would be like. Would she be as high maintenance as Mel? What would her values be? Would they get along or were they in for a week of hell? She tried hard to keep an open mind, figuring there was no point second guessing anything. Anyone in the world could appear in her house tomorrow and she just needed to go with it.<p>

* * *

><p>After dinner, Charlie, Angelo, Ruby and Xavier settled down to watch <em>Murder by Numbers<em>. Charlie and Angelo both agreed that Sandra Bullock was hot and they both enjoyed a good crime thriller, although Charlie had a habit of yelling insults at the screen when the cops were doing things wrong. It drove Angelo crazy but Ruby found it amusing.

After the film ended, Charlie waited up until Ruby had said goodnight to her boyfriend and seen him out of the house. She considered herself a trendy mother but there was no way her daughter was having boys sleep the night at sixteen. Ruby respected her rule and she insisted that she and Xavier hadn't 'done it' yet. Charlie trusted her to be telling the truth. Saying a lingering goodnight to her daughter, aware that it was the last time for two whole weeks, Charlie followed Angelo up to bed.

* * *

><p>Joey, Mel and Sam strolled home together along the beach, walking off their meal. Joey was pleased when Mel held her hand. Non-sexual affection between them wasn't very common. It made her hope that perhaps Mel really would miss her. Perhaps if Mel realised exactly how much Joey did for her, she might learn to appreciate her a bit more. It would be nice to know that she cared and that she wanted to be with her. In an ideal world, the swap would teach her that Joey was a good person and perhaps then she would learn to be faithful. <em>Either that or she's going to screw some poor woman's husband, <em>she thought to herself. She tried to override the thought, looked down at their joined hands and smiled.

* * *

><p>Beneath the blankets, Charlie and Angelo felt a little awkward. Their sex life hadn't been up to much for months now. That was half the problem. Both of them were so busy and therefore so tired all the time that they hadn't really made a lot of time for each other. It was one of the reasons that Charlie had agreed to participate in the show. If Angelo wasn't getting sex at home, she was afraid of him seeking sex elsewhere but surely, watched by cameras he wouldn't dare?<p>

"I'm really going to miss you," he said in the darkness.

They turned on their sides to face each other. She smiled even though he couldn't really see her expression.

"I'm going to miss you too," she said.

He smiled too and leant in close. She allowed him to kiss her and guide her onto her back. The last night before parting meant they ought to make the effort.

* * *

><p>Joey returned from the end of the bed to her pillow to lie down. Mel lay back against her own pillow feeling joyously satisfied. She would certainly miss this over the next two weeks. While she may have various flings and one night stands on the side, Joey was the person she always went back to. Joey was the person she loved. And in her experience, nobody could ever be as good between the sheets as Joey was. She leant in and kissed her, holding her close.<p>

"I'm going to miss you so much," she said.

* * *

><p>The following morning, both families were up and out early. With her bags packed in the television company's car, Charlie turned to her family. She kissed Angelo goodbye and then turned to Ruby. Holding her tightly, she whispered how much she loved her and how she'd be counting the days until she saw her again.<p>

At Joey's house, Mel hugged Sam goodbye and then turned to her partner. She kissed her passionately by way of a parting gift, fluttered her eyelashes at the camera and then hopped into the car. Looking through the back window, she waved until Joey and Sam were no longer in sight.

Within a few hours, both Charlie and Mel arrived at their new homes.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Charlie and Mel leave manuals to guide each other on the running of their home...<em>


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you to everyone who has given such positive feedback for this story. I was particularly nervous about this one so I am really pleased that people seem to be enjoying it. And I promise that Charlie and Joey will meet soon! Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Six**

_Charlie Buckton's Manual to Running her Home_

**Can you talk us through your daily routine?**

Assuming I'm working the day shift, I am usually up at seven and haul my partner, Angelo and my daughter, Ruby out of bed. I make breakfast and then I drop Ruby off at school. If Angelo is working too, we go to the station together. I'm a Senior Constable and work at Yabbie Creek police station. None of my working days are the same. It's a mix of whatever incidents arise and usually a lot of paperwork! I generally stop off at the local Diner for lunch, with Angelo, with Ruby or with friends. It's quite a close knit community here so pretty much everyone knows everyone. I usually do twelve-hour shifts so when I get home I'm pretty tired. Ruby is usually home before me so when I get in, I crash on the couch and she and I chat about our day. I'm the person in charge of cooking so I do dinner and whatever chores I'm meant to do that day. We do try to have a family dinner every day. Of an evening, Ruby may or may not be around depending on homework, her boyfriend and her friends. Angelo and I might go out for a drink or to a movie or we might just stay in for the night, ready to face the day tomorrow.

**Who performs what role in your house?**

I'm in charge of the cooking and I do the ironing because Angelo and Ruby are inept at such things! But we live with a policy of sharing chores. Nobody does more or less than the other. Usually, Angelo does the laundry and he's in charge of DIY type things. Ruby's main chore is cleaning the bathroom and she and Angelo take it in turns to do the dishes. Ruby's weekend job is the vacuuming. We're all in charge of the general upkeep of the house.

**How is your relationship with your family?**

Ruby and I have an amazing relationship. I had her when I was very young and for a lot of our lives it has very much been us against the world. We tell each other pretty much everything and she's my best friend as well as my child. I love her completely and I would do anything for her.

Angelo and I have been together on and off for five years. We met at work and we have a happy relationship, although it's not without its problems. Things can get difficult when we are so busy with work and tired all the time. It means we miss out on quality time with each other and I think we've got a little complacent about what we mean to each other. But I love him very much and I hope he loves me. I think we need to get some romance back though!

**What is your profession?**

I'm a Senior Constable at the local police station. My father is a retired Detective so I guess it's in my blood. Angelo is a Constable and Ruby wants to be a police officer too.

**What are you and your family's passions and hobbies?**

I'm really into keeping fit and so is Angelo. We go to the gym together a lot on weekends and before or after work. I think it's really important to keep in shape and stay healthy, especially with the job I do. Ruby likes hanging out with her friends, she plays pool and she's usually got some kind of community project on the go!

* * *

><p><em>Mel Jones's Manual to the Running of her Home...<em>

**Can you talk us through your daily routine?**

My girlfriend, Joey, wakes up first. She has the first shower and then runs me a bath while she's getting ready. She makes breakfast for me, herself and our housemate and best friend, Sam. Then Joey and I go our separate ways. Joey runs a boat tour guide business and she's very proud of it. I run a beauty salon that I'm equally proud of. I go to work in the mornings with Sam, who works for me. Then I usually come home in the afternoon to relax a bit or I take Sam shopping or to lunch if she doesn't have any appointments. Joey gets home at around six o'clock and starts cooking dinner and then once she's done the dishes, the evening is anyone's guess. Sometimes the three of us go out, sometimes we stay in, sometimes we do individual things or we break up, two to one. Sam and I go out a lot more than Joey does and we have been known to leave her at home while we hit the pubs or clubs. When I go to bed, no matter what time it is or how the day has gone, Joey and I make love.

**Who performs what role in your house?**

If I'm being totally honest, Joey does pretty much everything in this house. She's a little OCD when it comes to cleanliness and while Sam is in charge of her own room, Joey takes charge of the rest of the place. I'm not really a housework kind of girl so Joey does the cooking and all the cleaning, including laundry and vacuuming.

**How is your relationship with your family?**

They're great! Sam is my best friend and we get along famously. We always have done and we have the same sense of humour. She is great to go out scoping for girls with!

And I can honestly tell you that Joey is the best girlfriend in the world. She's beautiful and kind, she does everything for me and she is the best lover I have ever had. She and I have an understanding whereby I can have multiple partners, although she doesn't. This is because I have such an insatiable sexual appetite. It can be pretty hard to keep up! Although no matter how many partners I've had, Joey will always be the person I come home to. She will always be the best. I love her very much.

**What is your profession?**

I own a beauty salon, which my father bought me. I'm there half a day Monday to Saturday and I love it, although I do struggle with the accounting side of things so Joey helps me with that. And when I say she helps me, I mean she does it for me. Sam works for me. Joey runs a tour guide boat company, which she built from scratch. Her best friend, Aden, who you're more than likely to meet while you're here, helps her.

**What are you and your family's passions and hobbies?**

Well, I'm addicted to sex. I love it. I can't get enough of it. I also love shopping and all things cosmetic. I have an obsession with shoes and bags and I love reality television. I like both boys and girls and Sam is the same as me except she is exclusively gay. Joey's first love is boats. She eats, sleeps and breathes them! It can get a little dull sometimes but I guess it keeps her happy. She is also besotted with her two cats. She talks to them as if they're real people!

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Mel and Charlie arrive at their new homes...<em>


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

_Ten Weeks Ago..._

Mel climbed out of the car feeling confident. She was dressed in a sleeveless summer dress cut mid-thigh. She wore heels and her blonde hair was loose and pretty. The cameras followed her as she entered the house through the kitchen door. She looked around at the kitchen.

"Ours is bigger," she commented.

Wandering through the house, she ended up in the lounge and nosed around. She spotted photographs on a low shelf. She picked one up.

"Sisters?" she wondered. "They look a little close in age to be mother and daughter."

She picked up another. It was of the older woman and a man. Both were dressed as police officers.

"You've sent me to a house of cops?" Mel explained. "Because these two are pretty damn hot!"

She put the picture down and began to wander through the rest of the house. She peered into the bathroom, commenting that it was nice and big and impressive. Upstairs, she looked into a tidy room, which she presumed was the couple's bedroom. She then peered around the room of a teenage girl and nosed around the spare room, where she presumed she would be sleeping. It looked pleasant enough.

* * *

><p>Charlie was nervous when the car pulled up outside a pretty, modern house that was a stone's throw from the beach. The presence of the sea was comforting, at least. It made her feel close to home. She took a deep breath and headed into the house. She stepped into a large, open plan living room. Looking around, she saw a door to her left which led into the kitchen and then up the stairs was a small corridor with several rooms – two bedrooms, an office with a sofa bed where Charlie assumed she would sleep, and a bathroom.<p>

"It all looks really nice," Charlie said into the camera. "Homey and tidy and everything."

She headed back downstairs and looked around the living room again. She picked up photos on the mantelpiece.

"No men," she commented. "Am I about to marry a lesbian?"

She pondered the idea, unfazed. What she had opted not to tell the camera crew was that she was bisexual. It was a point of contention with Angelo and she hadn't wanted to bring the whole thing up on screen. She hadn't considered that it might come up some other time. But if she was to be paired with a woman, she had no problems at all. She thought it would be a nice break from putting up with a man for the next two weeks. Heading into the kitchen, Charlie sat down at the table and picked up the manual to begin reading.

* * *

><p>Mel settled down at the dining table and began to read the manual.<p>

"Okay, this woman is boring," Mel declared. "And a kid? Are you kidding me? You're expecting me to play Mum? No way!"

She shook her head and continued reading through everything Charlie had felt it necessary to tell her.

"Right, I'm telling you now that I do not cook and I do not iron," she said. "I am never going to fit in with this household, even if I am being paired with a hot guy."

Her confidence began to waver a little and she suddenly became very appreciative of Joey and everything she did to keep her happy. How was she ever going to cope with long shifts as a police officer and running a house with a teenage girl?

"And how young must this chick have been to have a teenage daughter?" she exclaimed.

* * *

><p>"Oh my...!" Charlie managed. "Is this girl for real?"<p>

She'd read the answer to the first question and could only conclude that this Mel woman was completely spoilt. Her girlfriend ran her a bath and helped her get ready in the morning, then did a full day at work and then appeared to wait on her hand and foot. She cringed a little at the show off remark about their sex life.

"No matter what, they have sex every day," Charlie said aloud. "Well, aren't they the lucky ones?"

* * *

><p>Mel sat back and pulled a face, having decided that she already didn't like this family. They were boring, obsessed with the law and keeping fit and the wife had far too much on her plate.<p>

"Can I go home?" she asked.

* * *

><p>Charlie could hardly believe that this woman, Joey did absolutely everything around the house.<p>

"Okay, she's either a control freak or she's a doormat," Charlie decided. "There is no way on earth I'd let Angelo or even Ruby get away with not contributing to chores! That's crazy!"

She shook her head and moved onto the next question, which was about family relationships. Apparently Mel and Joey lived with their friend Sam, which was already a very different set up to Charlie, Angelo and Ruby. It would be interesting to live with two adults.

"Is this a joke?" Charlie wondered. "This Mel girl goes out with other men and women and keeps hold of Joey? Why is that allowed to happen? I'd kill Angelo if he went off with someone else. Well, he did. And we broke up."

She shook her head and forced herself to keep reading. Already she didn't like the wife that she was replacing and she wasn't sure how to figure her 'husband' out. The more she read, the more frivolous, irritating and selfish Mel appeared to be. Living in her shoes was going to be impossible. She already wanted to go home, although she did feel the need to let this Joey person know exactly how badly she was being treated.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Charlie and Joey have a very different viewing experience to Mel and Sam...<em>


	8. Chapter 8

_This chapter is short but the next one will be longer. I know this has been a bit of a slow burner so far but it's gearing up to build Charlie and Joey's relationship so I hope you'll stick with it. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Eight**

_Present Day_

Charlie, Joey, Ruby, Xavier, Ross and Morag continued to sit together in the lounge watching their fifteen minutes of fame.

"Both wives are leaving home and they've agreed to have no contact with their families during the swap," the narrator announced as the programme showed Mel and Charlie saying goodbye to their loved ones and arriving at their new homes.

"Before they meet their new families, both wives have a chance to look around their new homes," the narrator explained.

They saw Mel wander through Charlie and Angelo's house, commenting on things and noting that both Charlie and Angelo, judging by their photographs were both hot cops. Joey wasn't surprised. Mel had always assessed people on their attractiveness. And while she had no interest in Angelo, she was in firm agreement that Charlie was stunning. As far as Joey was concerned, Charlie was the most beautiful woman in the world and she was firmly besotted. She leant over and snuggled into her shoulder. Charlie happily put her arm around her as they continued to watch Mel nose through the house. The screen then switched to show Charlie looking through Mel and Joey's house. The police officer was immediately impressed

"It all looks really nice," Charlie said into the camera. "Homely and tidy and everything."

Having cut to Charlie downstairs, viewers witnessed her looking around the living room and picking up photographs.

"No men," she commented. "Am I about to marry a lesbian?"

On the couch, Charlie blushed a little. Joey and Ruby chuckled.

"Oh, if only you'd known!" Ruby teased.

The narrator then explained that each wife had written a manual as a guide to the running of their home. Mel went first as she read through what Charlie had written and exclaimed that there was so many things she couldn't do.

"Too right!" Ruby said. "She did fu... nothing. She did nothing."

Charlie nodded, glad that her daughter had curbed her language, especially in front of her grandparents. The last thing Charlie needed was her father or Morag to criticise her for not teaching Ruby manners.

* * *

><p>In her own living room, Mel continued to watch with Sam. It felt strange to watch a stranger wandering through her home. She had met Charlie now of course but she couldn't say that she liked her. In fact, she was certain she hated her and she definitely didn't like the idea of her touching her things. Thinking of Joey, Mel pulled a face and forced herself to continue watching, unimpressed by the police officer's comments about the way her and Joey's relationship worked.<p>

"They've totally misrepresented me," Mel complained.

"You wrote it," Sam pointed out.

Mel glared at her.

"And exactly who's side are you on?" she demanded.

"Well, you lost me a house, a cleaner and emotional punch bag so I'm pretty much not sure!"

"I lost you?" Mel shrieked. "That was all Charlie and Joey. It was nothing to do with me, what they did."

As the show continued, the girls argued about all that had happened in order to bring them to this very moment.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Charlie and Mel meet their new families...<em>


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

_Ten Weeks Ago..._

Charlie moved to sit on the large, comfortable sofa in order to wait for her new family to arrive. She wondered what they were like and if she would get on with them. She wasn't sure which one of the people in the photos would be her wife or "husband" and who she had swapped with, although she did have a few assumptions.

She was a little nervous about the wild woman who was about to go and live with her boyfriend and mother her daughter. And what kind of person lived in a house like this, in a relationship like the one described in the manual? She thought Joey must either be very weak or very controlling.

A meow interrupted her thoughts. Charlie leant forward to see two cats sitting by her feet. One was fluffy and white with a black stripe across his ear and a black tail. He was double the size of the small, sleek, cat seated beside him. She was entirely black except for a small tuft of white fur on her chest.

"Hello," she said to them with a smile. "And who might you be?"

The black cat inched forward and sniffed at her shoes. She rubbed against her legs and purred. Charlie stroked her and continued chatting away while the white cat, obviously a little more nervous, inches forward and nuzzled her hand.

* * *

><p>Mel had made herself a stiff glass of wine while she waited for her 'husband' and 'child' to arrive back home. She stood up and downed her glass when she heard a key in the lock and a few second later, a handsome man and a beautiful teenage girl, along with a second camera crew, arrived in the room.<p>

"Hi!" she said cheerfully, extending her hand. "I'm Mel."

Angelo shook her hand and kissed her cheek, politely introducing himself.

"And this is Ruby," he said.

The girl stepped forward and also kissed Mel's cheek and shook her hand.

"Very pleased to meet you," Mel said.

* * *

><p>Joey took a deep breath and headed into the house, ready to meet her new wife for the next fortnight. She'd pictured everything under the sun but nothing could prepare her for what she saw. On her sofa, cuddling her two cats, was the most beautiful woman Joey had ever seen. Her eyes widened in surprised delight as she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other and engage her mouth to form words.<p>

The woman smiled when she saw Joey and Sam enter the room. The cats jumped off her lap and hurried to their owner, fussing around her legs as she leant over to shake hands with the newcomer who had stood to meet her new family.

"Hi," Joey said, trying to remain calm. "I'm Joey."

Charlie couldn't stop smiling at her. She'd barely noticed the woman standing behind her. Joey was immediately captivating. She didn't think she'd ever seen someone look so stunning in real life before. She was perfect.

"I'm Charlie," she managed.

They shook hands. Sam cleared her throat and Joey snapped to attention, making introductions. Charlie shook Sam's hand and forced herself to focus and pay attention instead of getting lost in Joey's eyes.

"I see you've met the cats," Joey said, taking a seat.

Charlie retuned to the sofa. The white cat hopped back onto her lap while the black one followed Joey and sat at her feet. Sam sat down alone.

"I'm surprised," Joey said. "They're not normally so good with strangers."

"They've been really sweet," Charlie said, stroking the cat's ears. "What are their names?"

"Well, the one you have is called Indigo – Indie for short. And this little girl is Ruby."

"Ruby?" Charlie exclaimed with delight.

Joey nodded.

"My daughter's called Ruby," Charlie explained.

Joey grinned.

"Well now you have another Ruby for the next couple of weeks!" she said.

Charlie nodded and continued to stroke Indie as he purred loudly and settled down on her lap.

"How old is your daughter?" Sam asked, wanting to be part of the conversation.

"She's sixteen," Charlie said.

Both women looked surprised.

"I had her when I was very young," Charlie explained a little awkwardly.

"Cool," Joey said, not wanting her to feel unsure. "So, where are you from? What do you do?"

* * *

><p>"So, you and your wife are both cops?" Mel asked.<p>

"Girlfriend," Angelo corrected.

"Sorry, girlfriend," Mel said. "You're both cops."

He nodded enthusiastically.

"Charlie's a Senior Constable and I'm a Constable," he explained. "We met through work. What does your husband do?"

Mel chuckled.

"My girlfriend runs a tour guide boat," she said.

She had never been terribly interested in Joey's work. She hadn't even been on the boat or gone for the tour, which she supposed she should have. Joey was always interested in her work and even did her books for her. But then she supposed she and Joey were different kinds of people.

"Oh!" Angelo said, unable to hide his surprise. "You're gay?"

He forced himself not to say 'but you're so pretty' and clamped his mouth shut. Ruby looked on with amusement, trying to ignore the cameras.

"Bisexual," Mel clarified. "My girlfriend's gay though."

Angelo pulled a face although he hid it well. He and Charlie had argued the point so many times. He didn't believe it was possible to be bisexual. He thought people 'like that' were just greedy and at the end of the day, they always came down on one side or the other. Knowing this, Ruby tried not to laugh.

"Mum's bisexual too," she said.

Angelo glared at her.

"Oh, really?" Mel said with interest. "I was worried we'd get paired with some homophobes or something. That's what they usually do, isn't it?"

* * *

><p>"Do you mind being married to a woman for a fortnight?" Sam asked.<p>

Joey had left the room in order to cook dinner for the three of them. It was her usual task and Charlie had fought the urge to offer to help.

"No," Charlie said. "I'm bi anyway so it doesn't faze me at all. Although, I'm not sure what Angelo will make of Mel!"

She looked into the kitchen where Joey was cooking and singing to herself.

"Does she need help?" Charlie asked Sam.

"She's not that bad a singer!" Sam laughed.

"Oh, I meant with the food," Charlie said, embarrassed.

Sam grinned at her.

"I know," she said. "I'm just teasing. But no, she does all the cooking so you don't need to help her."

"What do I do with myself now then? If I'm being Mel?"

Sam handed her the television remote.

"You relax and have fun," she said.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Mel and Charlie get to know their new families better...<em>


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

_Still ten weeks ago..._

Once Mel had explained that she didn't cook very well, Angelo decided, as it was their first night, that he would go out and get a takeaway. Ruby had convinced him that Xavier could come round for dinner too and now the four of them were seated around the kitchen table, tucking into their food. Mel felt a little nervous and out of her comfort zone but she thought everyone seemed nice so far. She was grateful to have been spared cooking, although she knew she would have to tackle it sometime, probably tomorrow. Ruby was painfully aware that her mother was gone and was trying not to sulk or worry about it. She couldn't help but wonder if her Mum was okay and if Mel's family would be treating her well.

"What's your partner like?" she asked.

Mel smiled.

"She's amazing," she said. "Have no doubt that she will be treating your Mum like a Princess."

Ruby couldn't help but smile. She liked that idea immensely. For a long time, she hadn't believed that Angelo treated Charlie the way she deserved so to think that someone else would spoil her a little could only be a good thing.

"She does all the cooking and cleaning and everything at home," Mel explained. "So Charlie won't have to lift a finger unless she chooses to during the rule change."

* * *

><p>Charlie, Joey and Sam all sat around the table.<p>

"This is gorgeous," Charlie enthused.

Joey beamed at her. Usually Sam and Mel just ate the food and didn't comment. It felt nice to receive a compliment.

"Thanks," she said.

"So, do you really do all the cooking?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," Joey nodded.

"So do I," Charlie admitted. "But we take the rest of the household chores in turns."

Sam looked appalled and immediately began to worry about what kind of rules Charlie would bring in next week. She had got used to not having to do any housework and she wasn't keen for it to change.

"Well, if you want to offer me a break during rule change day, feel free!" Joey chuckled.

* * *

><p>Before the camera crew left for the day, Angelo, Mel and Ruby were taken aside to give interviews on first impressions.<p>

"She seems okay," Ruby said. "Although I get the feeling she's a bit spoilt. I'm not sure how well she'll take to working hard like Mum does."

She shrugged, wanting to give her the benefit of the doubt. Eager to get to bed, she saw the camera crew out of her room, closed the door, wished she could call her mother to say goodnight and began to get ready for sleep. The crew headed in to see Angelo.

"She's pretty hot," he said. "Not that that's important but I can't say it would be a trauma to be her husband for the next two weeks. Although I'm not entirely sure how useful she's going to be around the house and work... work will be interesting to say the least."

The crew thanked him and then headed in to see Mel, who was already changed into satin pyjamas, although she still had her make up on and her hair up.

"He is gorgeous!" she announced enthusiastically. "I think I might have to find out if he and Charlie are set on being monogamous because... wow! Seriously!"

She laughed and offered a devilish grin at the camera.

* * *

><p>Charlie sat on the edge of the sofa bed. She was sleeping in what she presumed was Joey's study and the bed seemed to be fairly new so they had obviously provided her a sleeping space at the last minute.<p>

"I think I'm going to get on well here," she said. "I'm not completely sure about Sam but Joey is lovely. She's so kind and easy to talk to. I really like her."

She beamed at the camera.

"I think we're going to get on well."

The crew headed in to see Sam who didn't seem particularly enamoured with Charlie and expressed concern that she would soon have to do housework and such things, which she hadn't been used to doing for a number of years now. They then headed in to see Joey who only had compliments for her new wife.

"She's beautiful, she's funny, she smart, she's kind," she said. "I really like her. I think she's awesome."

* * *

><p><em>Next time... the reality stars continue to watch themselves on television...<em>


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

_Present Day_

"In the Buckton household, Mel is getting acquainted with her new husband and daughter," the narrator said.

The programme offered some shots of Angelo, Mel and Ruby sitting around in the lounge together, getting to know each other. They cut to Ruby worrying about how Mel was going to fit in. Watching from her position on the couch, Ruby scrutinised how she looked on screen.

"You look beautiful," Charlie said.

"You have to say that," Ruby replied. "You're my Mum."

She then grinned as everyone else in the room told her she was beautiful too. On screen, Angelo and Mel also expressed concern that Mel wouldn't cope with everything Charlie did in a day.

"And she didn't!" Ruby said sourly.

She looked at Joey.

"Seriously, how did you ever live with her?"

"Ruby!" Charlie scolded.

"Sorry," Ruby pouted. "I was just saying."

They turned back to the screen where they watched Charlie, Joey and Sam get to know each other. They talked about the cats and there were lots of shots of how cute they were. In the living room, Joey looked at her pets.

"Ruby," she said. "Indie. It's your crowning moment!"

Both looked up in a disinterested fashion and then went back to sleep where they were curled up together on the back of Ross's chair. Ruby listened to the conversation Charlie and Joey were having about Charlie having a different Ruby for the week and beamed.

"I'm glad you were sufficiently worried about missing me," she said.

"Of course I was going to miss you," Charlie said, reaching across and squeezing her hand. "I missed you the moment I walked out the door."

"Joey kept you distracted enough!" Ruby snorted.

Charlie and Joey both blushed.

"See?" Ruby squeaked.

There was a very obvious shot of the way the two women had looked at each other on that first day. From their seats on the sofa, Charlie and Joey both became embarrassed at the blatant display of attraction.

"I didn't realise I was that obvious!" Joey said.

"Well, you can't have been because I didn't notice," Charlie said.

It had surprised her immensely when she'd realised that Joey returned her feelings.

"How could you not notice?" Ruby asked. "She practically had love hearts in her eyes! And so did you!"

* * *

><p>"They practically have love hearts in their eyes," Mel complained.<p>

She fought the urge to throw something at the television as Charlie and Joey made googly-eyes at each other.

"It makes me sick."

She turned to Sam.

"Did you notice?"

"Not really," Sam admitted. "Mostly I was just thinking that Charlie was hot."

Mel glared at her.

"Well, I didn't know how things would turn out, did I?" Sam said defensively. "And I kicked them into touch the moment I _did _realise what was going on so be grateful for that."

Mel continued to complain as she watched Charlie, Joey and Sam all sit round the dinner table together with Joey commenting that if Charlie wanted to give her some time off the housework during rule change then she'd be glad.

"She's talking as if she's some kind of slave!" she said bitterly.

Sam held her tongue. She did not want to get into another squabble. They were missing the show. Mel finally settled when she saw herself back on screen, having dinner with Angelo and Ruby.

* * *

><p>Sitting alone, Angelo continued to watch in silence, drinking beer and feeling miserable. He'd gone on the show to save his relationship but now he had lost Charlie forever.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Charlie comes out as bisexual and struggles to be treated like a queen while Mel tries her hand at being a police officer...<em>


	12. Chapter 12

_I meant to say when I first introduced them but the cats in this story are real. Ruby is mine (named by the RSPCA way before I watched Home and Away) and Indi is her brother, who lives with an ex of mine. I just thought I would put them into context! I hope you're enjoying the story. We're delving deeper into it now. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Twelve**

_Ten weeks ago..._

The following morning, Charlie woke up at seven thirty. Yawning and stretching, she hauled herself up and off the sofa bed, which had been surprisingly comfortable. Wrapping her dressing gown around her, she padded down the stairs and into the kitchen. The camera crew were already there and Joey was bustling about the kitchen in her pyjamas.

"Morning!" the younger woman said cheerfully. "Coffee? Tea?"

It felt ever so strange for Charlie not to be the person making breakfast and playing the hostess. She requested a black coffee with no sugar and sat down at the table. Joey poured the hot liquid into the cup and greeted Sam who wandered in and sat down next to Charlie. Joey immediately set about making a third cup and the two of them sat down together.

"Did you sleep okay?" Joey asked. "We just bought the sofa bed so I don't know exactly how comfortable it is."

"It was fine," Charlie assured her.

Joey smiled in relief.

"So, what does your day look like?" Charlie asked conversationally.

"Well, I'll get your bath run in a minute and then I'll get ready myself," Joey said.

Charlie still hadn't quite got her head around the idea of Joey running a bath for her. It made her feel ever so lazy.

"I'm fine just having a shower," she protested.

"Rules," Sam reminded her.

"It's fine," Joey said.

She took breakfast orders and got up to start providing. Charlie sat back in her chair, nursing her coffee and watching Joey work. She seemed like such a sweet person. Charlie couldn't help but wonder why she allowed herself to be treated like a slave. Next to her, Sam studied Charlie's face.

"So, what's your boyfriend like?" she asked.

Surprised, Charlie turned back to Sam and smiled politely. She seemed like a nice enough girl, although she blatantly took advantage of Joey too.

"He's lovely," she said. "He's a cop, same as me. He's great."

"What do you think he'll make of his girlfriend coming into a house of lesbians?" Sam asked.

At the kitchen counter, Joey listened with interest.

"I don't actually know, to be honest," Charlie admitted. "He has a bit of a problem with me being bi so..."

Sam choked on her coffee.

"You're bisexual?"

Charlie nodded. Joey steeled herself to present toast to Charlie and Sam before sitting down to her own food.

"He thinks bisexuals don't exist though," Charlie explained between bites of breakfast. "He thinks we're misguided and should just choose one gender or the other."

"That's ridiculous," Joey said. "Of course bisexuals exist. Maybe some people do prefer one over the other but they're totally capable of liking both."

"Thank you!" Charlie grinned. "Finally a partner who understands me!"

The two women smirked at each other. Charlie was sure that she was going to have a nice time in this house. She already thought Joey was awesome.

* * *

><p>In Summer Bay, Mel was dressed in her new police uniform. It was strange and amusing. She'd only worn this kind of outfit for nights out or nights in before. But she figured she looked good in it anyway. Angelo was also dressed up and ready for work and Ruby had left the breakfast table to pack her school bag. It had been Mel's duty to make breakfast and the understanding was that Ruby would do the dishes when she got back from school that afternoon. Mel was grateful that at least she didn't have to do that on top of working a full day and taking charge of cooking and ironing. Already she was wondering how Joey coped at home with all that she had to do. However, she was not quite willing to give up her life of leisure yet.<p>

"Ready to go?" Angelo asked.

"As I'll ever be!" Mel said brightly.

* * *

><p>Lying in a hot bubble bath, Charlie could help but feel pretty happy. While she would feel extremely selfish to have this kind of treatment every day, as a one off, she thought it was lovely to be waited on a little. It certainly wasn't what she was used to at home. She doubted Angelo would ever consider doing something like this for her. She wondered if she ought to mention it and hope he took the hint. Joey had brought her a glass of juice before she'd got in and told Charlie she had half an hour before she would need to start getting ready for work. Sipping her drink, Charlie mused over her new surroundings. The house was lovely and while she hadn't quite figured Sam out yet, she thought Joey was a sweetheart. She was very much looking forward to getting to know her and maybe make her life a little easier next week.<p>

* * *

><p>Mel tried hard to remember people's names she was introduced one by one to her colleagues. A lot of them were hot, which helped, although she thought Angelo was the most attractive of all of them.<p>

"So, do I get to arrest people and fight crime?" she asked him hopefully.

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Not exactly," he said. "You can come on a patrol with me but you're a little limited as to what you can do. Charlie's real life revolves around catching the bad guys but as you're not really a cop, you need to keep it tame."

She nodded a little grumpily.

"And we need you to sign this confidentiality clause," he added, thrusting a piece of paper at her.

* * *

><p>Joey checked she had everything she needed and was just about to leave the house when Charlie came down the stairs looking stunning. The boat manager was surprised and felt a little guilty to feel her heart skip a little at the sight of her. She really was breathtaking.<p>

"You all set for a morning's work?" she asked.

"I think so," Charlie said. "Although I don't know much about beauty."

"I find that hard to believe!" Joey grinned.

Charlie blushed and gazed at Joey for a moment too long. Sam interrupted them by skipping down the stairs and asking Charlie if she was ready.

"Sure," Charlie said quickly.

She still couldn't quite take her eyes off Joey, who wished her luck and hoped she had a good day.

* * *

><p>Ruby was glad to get to school and away from the cameras. Meeting up with Xavier in class, she hugged him.<p>

"How's it going without Charlie?" he asked.

Everyone knew how much mother and daughter relied on each other. She sighed unhappily and admitted that she was missing her desperately.

"What's the new woman like?" Nicole asked from across the way.

Ruby just shrugged. She hadn't quite figured Mel out yet but there was something about her she didn't quite feel comfortable with. She spoke very freely about sex and had flirted a hell of a lot with Angelo so far. Knowing that Angelo had once betrayed Charlie, something Ruby had never forgiven him for, she couldn't help but feel a little concerned.

"She seemed nice to me," Xavier piped up.

"Being hot doesn't make you automatically nice!" Ruby said.

He looked sufficiently guilty and apologised.

* * *

><p>Joey and Aden waited on deck for the arrival of their morning customers. They were all ready to set sail and with little to do before their guests arrived, Aden was quick to interrogate his boss and best friend about her new wife. Joey looked across the deck, ensuring that the camera and sound crew were busy setting up for the day.<p>

"She is gorgeous!" Joey admitted, relieved to finally have got it off her chest.

She felt ever so guilty for being attracted to another woman. It rarely happened and she had always been faithful to Mel but something about Charlie had immediately got under her skin. Aden's eyes lit up.

"Really?" he said. "You don't plan on dumping Mel for her, do you?"

The hope in his voice was obvious. He and Mel had never got on, not since the night that she had tried to take him to bed, right in front of Joey. His best friend had insisted that she didn't mind but he knew she did. And he hated that Mel hurt her so much.

"Not quite!" Joey replied. "She's just... nice to look at!"

"What's she like as a person, Ms Superficial?" Aden asked with a smirk.

"She's pretty cool, actually," Joey said. "I like her. I think we'll get on pretty well."

* * *

><p>At lunch time, Mel was eager to go home. She was disappointed to learn that she was merely getting a lunch break before the afternoon shift started. Angelo drove them to a local Diner and they ordered their meals. Several locals, including a woman called Colleen and a man called Roman, came over to introduce themselves. Mel was certain that Roman had checked her out. And she had unashamedly done the same back and decided that perhaps this town wouldn't be so bad after all. She missed Sam and Joey but she felt like she was settling in well.<p>

* * *

><p>"What am I meant to do now?" Charlie asked when she was packed up and ready to leave the salon.<p>

"Go home and chill, go shopping... do whatever you want," Sam told her.

The morning had gone pretty well. Charlie had wisely stayed away from cutting hair but she had done a couple of women's nails and washed people's hair. It had all been mildly amusing although she didn't think she could do it for the rest of her life. She loved being a cop far too much.

"Okay," Charlie said a little unhappily.

She said goodbye to everyone and jumped into Mel's car, opting to go home. Once she'd arrived at the house, she paced for a bit, wondering if she could get away with doing the dishes from breakfast in order to help Joey out or else find something else useful to do. She sat on the couch and cuddled both the cats for a little while before wandering around the house and trying to figure out what to do with herself.

* * *

><p>Ruby arrived home from school with Xavier. She felt like she needed moral support for her evening with Mel. Leaving her boyfriend in the lounge, Ruby headed upstairs to get changed out of her uniform. Coming back downstairs, she did the dishes and chatted to Xavier, wondering what would be in store for them this evening as they got to know Mel.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlie fought the urge to do the washing up. She knew it was against the rules and not what Mel would do with her afternoon of freedom. But it was almost impossible. She'd watched some television and played with cats, musing the kind of rules she might put in place next week. At five fifteen, Sam sauntered through the door and greeted her. The cats scampered away upstairs.<p>

"How did you enjoy your afternoon off?" Sam asked pleasantly, coming to sit beside Charlie.

"It was boring!" Charlie complained. "I'm totally not used to sitting around doing nothing."

Sam laughed.

"Well, maybe tomorrow you can stay on at work and get some treatment done," she suggested.

She took Charlie's hand and nodded at her nails.

"You could do with a manicure!"

Charlie blushed. Her nails were definitely not anything special.

"The bane of being a cop!" she laughed.

They looked up when Joey walked through the doors. The cats bounded down the stairs and back to her. She crouched down and gave them some fuss before dumping her bag and approaching Charlie to ask how she was.

* * *

><p>That evening, Mel was feeling tired. She stood in the kitchen and glared at everything around her. She didn't think she could cook, let alone did she want to! Joey was in charge of that kind of thing and that was the way she liked it. Angelo appeared in jeans and no shirt. She gave his body an appreciative glance.<p>

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah!" she lied.

"It's just... we're kind of hungry."

"I'll get there," she promised, feeling a little irritated.

She wasn't used to having to do things she didn't want to.

* * *

><p>Charlie couldn't help but pay Joey compliments as they sat down to a delicious dinner. And Joey couldn't help but feel bashful about it. She wasn't used to the compliments but she definitely liked them and she thought Charlie's personality only made her more beautiful.<p>

"So, how was your day?" Charlie asked.

"It was pretty good," Joey said. "We had some funny customers!"

Charlie grinned and sipped the wine Joey had poured for them.

"So, how long does a tour take?" Charlie asked.

"They take forty five minutes," Joey said. "And we do seven tours a day, on the hour."

"Could I maybe come sometime?" Charlie asked.

She wanted to take the opportunity to learn more about the area now that she was here and to have her own personal tour guide seemed like a brilliant idea. Joey looked elated.

"Of course you can!" she said. "I'd love to take you out."

Charlie beamed at her.

"Great!" she said. "We'll do it next week then. That way, I won't be breaking any rules!"

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Mel struggles to fill Charlie's shoes, Charlie spends social time with Joey and Aden and Ruby and her friends analyse her new living situation...<em>


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Still Ten Weeks Ago..._

It was Tuesday morning, the second day that Charlie was waking up in a different house. Stretching and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she pulled her dressing gown on and padded into the kitchen. Joey was making coffee in her pyjamas.

"Morning," she said cheerfully.

"Morning," Charlie said, her voice still thick with sleep. "No crew yet?"

Joey shook her head and put a coffee down in front of her.

"Black with one sugar, right?" she asked, hoping she'd remembered properly.

Charlie beamed at her.

"How can you be so thoughtful and so perky in the morning?" she wondered.

"I'm talented!" Joey grinned. "What would you like for breakfast? Personally, I'm craving bacon."

Charlie's eyes lit up.

"And now I'm guessing you do too."

She set about making their breakfast.

"Should one of us call Sam?" Charlie wondered as she sipped her drink.

"She didn't come home last night," Joey said. "So, it's just the two of us."

Sam had gone out clubbing with some friends. Joey hadn't come back to a trail of destruction in the kitchen which meant that her housemate hadn't returned. And it suited her just fine.

"Oh, okay," Charlie said. "Cool. Do you want any help?"

Joey just grinned at her.

"Oh, come on," Charlie said, a teasing tone in her voice. "Nobody will know!"

"Okay," Joey chuckled. "You can handle the bread!"

Charlie leapt up eagerly and opened the bread bin.

"I'm on it!" she said.

"I've never known someone so eager to be helpful," Joey commented.

"What can I say?" Charlie grinned. "I'm a good girl!"

Joey laughed and turned the bacon. She had to admit that it felt quite nice to be making breakfast with someone instead of just for them. She looked to her right and watched Charlie buttering the bread with a sudden spring in her step.

* * *

><p>Mel stared at two slices of burnt toast. Tossing them in the bin, she started to make her third attempt, determined to catch them from the toaster before they were cremated. Angelo appeared behind her.<p>

"You know you can just turn the toaster down," he said, flicking a dial.

"Oh!" she replied, embarrassed. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>Charlie and Joey sat down together.<p>

"So, what does your day involve today then?" Charlie asked conversationally as she tucked into her breakfast.

"I've got tours all day," Joey said. "Actually, I was wondering if you want to meet for lunch or something. I mean, it's not what Mel usually does but I thought it might be nice. Aden's looking forward to meeting you."

"That sounds great," Charlie enthused. "I'd love to."

Joey smiled at her. It felt so nice to have someone want to spend time with, especially someone in the place of Mel.

"How about you drive down to the boat and meet us? There's a really nice cafe nearby."

Charlie nodded.

"Just give me the directions," she said.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Must be the crew," Joey said, taking one last bite of her sandwich before getting up to let them in.

* * *

><p>By lunch time, Mel was bored stiff of work. Answering queries on the front desk was hardly entertaining, although she didn't mind ogling Angelo while she pretended to work. She wondered how Joey was getting on with Charlie. She was sure that her girlfriend was being nothing short of the perfect hostess but she wondered if their personalities would clash or mix. She hadn't quite figured Charlie out yet, from the way Angelo and Ruby spoke of her. They both seemed to have very differing opinions and Mel had yet to get the measure of the wife she was replacing. She smiled as Angelo approached her.<p>

"Ready for lunch?" he asked.

"Absolutely!" Mel said, eagerly escaping the confines of the reception desk.

* * *

><p>Charlie said goodbye to Sam and her other employees and climbed into the car with the cameras, as usual, following her. Pulling out the map Joey had drawn her, Charlie started the engine and drove towards the seaside. She was pleased that Joey had invited her to lunch. While she didn't think she and Angelo took the time for each other that they ought to, they did usually eat lunch together, at least when they were on the same shift. She felt sad that Mel and Joey didn't seem to spend that much time together and she told the camera so.<p>

"Not that I'm one to talk," she added with a half hearted smile.

It was strange. She was far more eager to hang out with Joey than she was with Angelo. Telling herself it was because Joey was someone new and interesting that she didn't know properly yet, she continued to drive until she saw the _Lucy_, Joey's tour boat in the distance. Pulling into a parking space, Charlie wondered if she ought to go and find Joey or if Joey would find her. On cue, she saw Joey and a handsome, blonde man head off the boat, smiling cheerfully.

"Hey, Charlie," Joey greeted warmly.

"Hey," Charlie replied, climbing out of the car.

"This is Aden," Joey said. "My best friend."

Aden politely shook Charlie's hand. Charlie introduced herself.

"Ready to go?" Joey asked.

Charlie nodded and allowed Joey and Aden to lead her down the street. Both girls had just about got used to being followed by a camera crew, although it wasn't that easy to act normal and ignore them.

* * *

><p>"So, how's it going at home?" Nicole asked as she, Ruby, Xavier and Geoff sat around the table at the Diner together.<p>

"Yeah, it's okay," Ruby said. "I miss Mum but Mel's okay. Although she burnt no less than four slices of toast this morning!"

"Even I don't burn toast!" Xavier remarked.

"Angelo helped her cook last night but he's going to have to leave her to her own devices at some point," Ruby said. "If we're going to show her exactly what Mum does. I mean, hopefully this whole thing will make Angelo appreciate Mum more – once he realises how much she does and how much she keeps our family together."

"What do you think is happening in Mel's house?" Geoff asked.

"According to Mel, her partner treats her like a Princess," Ruby said with a grin. "Mum's going to have a bath run for her every morning, she'll do half a day's work and then has the rest of the time to herself. This Joey girl cooks every meal, does all the cleaning...!"

"Poor woman!" Nicole said.

"I know," Ruby said. "But bonus for Mum. Although, I can't imagine her coping too well with not being helpful. You know what she's like."

The other three nodded. They all knew Ruby's mother very well. Ruby suddenly looked round conspiratorially, checking that nobody could hear her.

"Mel showed us a photo," she said. "And this Joey girl is gorgeous. I mean, like, even I think she's hot. She's totally Mum's type."

"Really?" Xavier asked.

"Yeah," Ruby said. "You never know, maybe she'll ditch Angelo for her."

She tried not to hope. It wasn't that she disliked Angelo. She just didn't think that much of him and she certainly wouldn't miss him if he wasn't around. But she was intrigued as to who Joey was and if she and her Mum would be suited. Ruby privately admitted that she preferred it when her mother dated women. So far, the women that she'd dated had been a lot nicer than the men and they'd made much more effort to get to know her.

"Not that I'd advocate cheating or anything," she added.

"Yeah, I'm not sure Mel and Angelo would be too keen on your theory!" Geoff laughed. "How hot is hot?"

Nicole slapped his hand and then asked the same question.

"She's really beautiful," Ruby confirmed. "I don't know. I just have a strange feeling about this."

* * *

><p>"So, Joey says you're a cop in your real life," Aden said when he, Joey and Charlie had all sat down together and ordered their meals.<p>

The cameras hovered around them; the programme intent on picking everything up.

"Yeah," Charlie nodded. "I'm a Senior Constable."

"Oh, wow!" Aden said.

He exchanged glances with Joey. Both of them couldn't quite help but picture the uniform.

"Have you always wanted to be a cop?" Joey asked, focussing her thoughts.

It was very confusing to feel attracted to someone who wasn't Mel. Since they'd got together, she'd barely looked at anyone else. But Charlie had made a cameo in her dreams last night and to say it had been unpleasant would definitely be a lie.

"Pretty much," Charlie said. "My Dad's a retired Detective so it kind of runs in the family."

"I'm so glad nothing from my Dad runs in the family!" Aden commented.

"Me too," Joey agreed.

Charlie was interested but decided not to try and unearth any family traumas over a sandwich, especially with the cameras rolling. She looked forward to the evening when she might get to talk more to Joey in private. They'd chatted until the early hours the night before and it had been lovely. And after only a few days, she was starting to adore Joey. If it wasn't for Ruby, she didn't think she'd miss home hardly at all.

"Do you spend a lot of time with your family?" Joey asked Charlie.

"My Mum passed away last year but I spend a heap of time with my Dad and his new wife," Charlie said. "We all get on pretty well. Mum and Dad were amazing in helping me raise Ruby."

"Oh yeah, Joey said you had a kid," Aden remembered. "How old is she?"

"She's sixteen," Charlie said.

She smiled as she watched him do the maths.

"I had her when I was very young," she said.

It was a situation she was used to describing. People were often confused.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to pry."

She smiled at him.

"It's fine," she said. "I know I had her abnormally young but I wouldn't go back and change it. Even with everything... how hard it was... my world revolves around my daughter. I'd do anything for her."

"That's so sweet," Joey said.

"Have you ever thought about kids?" Charlie asked.

"Joey has enough hassle putting up with Mel and Sam!" Aden remarked.

His friend poked him in the ribs.

"I would love kids one day," she said.

"You'd better not have them with Mel..." Aden warned.

Joey glared at him.

"He's not a fan," Joey said to Charlie.

"How come?"

Joey sighed.

"You've done it now!" she said.

Charlie apologised but listened with amusement as Aden ranted about his Joey being taken for granted.

"And she uses her as a sex toy!"

Charlie snorted with laughter. Joey squeaked and hit Aden hard in the shoulder.

"Charlie does not want to know things like that!" she said.

"I don't mind," Charlie giggled. "Mel admitted as much in the manual anyway."

"Which part?" Joey asked curiously.

"That you do everything for her. And that you have a very active sex life."

Joey choked on her drink, although she didn't know why she was surprised. It was a very Mel thing to do.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Charlie breaks the rules, Mel explains her relationship with Joey to Angelo and Charlie and Joey continue to bond...<em>


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Still Ten Weeks Ago..._

It was the afternoon of the third day – Wednesday. Charlie had gone to work in the morning and then come back at lunch time. Having watched a little daytime TV and played with the cats, she'd tidied up her room, not that it needed it. Then she'd broken the rules and washed up the plates from breakfast. She knew she wasn't supposed to. Apparently it wasn't something that would ever occur to Mel. Charlie couldn't help but wonder how she was coping, having to do long days at the police station and cook and do laundry. Giggling to herself as she sat down at the kitchen table with a coffee, she spoke to the cameras that followed her incessantly.

"I suddenly had this image of Ruby walking around in a tiny school uniform!" she revealed. "I don't know how Mel would be coping with contributing to the running of the house. She's got it made here."

She smiled as she thought of Joey.

"Joey's amazing," she said. "She's so sweet and she just seems tireless in looking after everyone, running the house. She's lovely."

Finishing her coffee, she stood up and washed the cup.

"I'm going to break the rules," she suddenly decided.

Grabbing her keys, she headed out of the house. The cameras followed.

* * *

><p>Angelo and Mel arrived home. Mel immediately flopped onto the sofa and sighed dramatically.<p>

"How do you do this every day?" she wondered.

The cameras paid close attention as Angelo came to sit beside her.

"It's just... what we do," he said.

He liked Mel. And he thought she was stunning, although he was intent on keeping that to himself. He dreaded to think what parts of their footage they would show and he didn't want Charlie thinking he was being unfaithful, even in his head. She was already paranoid enough about him going off with someone again.

"It's so tiring!" Mel said, closing her eyes. "I miss my half days at work."

"Well, I cleared it with my boss today and he said I could take you out on patrol with me tomorrow if you wanted. What do you think?"

"Is it more interesting that answering phones?" she asked hopefully.

"Much! You might even get to help arrest someone!"

Mel sat up, her eyes shining.

"Then maybe tomorrow won't be so traumatic!" she said.

Laughing softly, Angelo got up and headed off to his room to get changed. He'd pulled his shirt off by the time he reached the bottom of the stairs. Mel couldn't resist turning around to check him out.

* * *

><p>Joey arrived home and was immediately puzzled by the delicious smell of cooking. Closing the door, she curiously poked her head around the kitchen door and was surprised to see Charlie cooking up a storm and singing herself. Leaning against the door post, Joey watched with a smile on her face. Charlie turned around and shrieked when she saw her there. Joey stood up properly, still smiling.<p>

"I broke the rules," Charlie said.

"So I see," Joey remarked.

"Do you mind?"

"Of course I don't. It's really sweet of you."

They smiled at each other for a moment before Charlie explained that she'd made lasagne.

"From scratch, I hasten to add," she said proudly.

"Well then I'll look forward to eating it!" Joey said.

Charlie beamed at her. She told her to go up and get changed so that she could be waited on for a change.

"I hope the programme don't tell us off for cheating!" Joey called behind her as she trotted up the stairs.

The cats followed her to her room. Charlie smiled to herself as she began to prepare the vegetables to have on the side.

* * *

><p>Once Ruby had come home from school, Mel struggled to make something resembling a meal. Eventually, she placed a pot noodle each down in front of them.<p>

"Looks delicious!" Angelo chuckled.

"Sorry," Mel said. "I'm no chef."

"Nor am I," Angelo admitted.

"Me neither," said Ruby. "I miss Mum."

She looked sad for a moment and then tucked into her food.

"So do I," Angelo said.

He turned quickly to Mel.

"Not that we don't like you," he said. "We do. We just... you know... Charlie."

"It's okay," Mel said. "I miss my Joey too."

She smiled.

"I don't think I've ever gone this long without sex before!"

Ruby nearly choked on her noodles but couldn't help but chuckle at the woman's sincerity. Angelo bit back a quiet retort about being used to abstention. That didn't need to be public knowledge, although he couldn't help but worry about what kinds of things Charlie might have said about him.

* * *

><p>"Well, you know that was the first home cooked meal that wasn't cooked by me, that I've had in a long time," Joey said. "Thank you."<p>

She pushed her plate away a little and sat back in her chair. Sam hadn't been home or contacted them so they'd gone ahead and eaten without her but had save her a share for later. Charlie had opened a bottle of wine and she and Joey were happily polishing it off as they ate. Joey smiled affectionately at her.

"What?" Charlie asked a little self-consciously.

"It's just really nice that you did this," Joey said. "I'm not used to being cooked for and stuff. And usually I don't get such nice conversation at dinner."

"You don't?"

"Well, Sam and Mel talk a lot about their day and... well, it's not really something I can join in with. And it's not something I'm that interested in, to be honest. That sounds mean, doesn't it?"

"No," Charlie said honestly. "It doesn't sound mean. I guess I'm lucky. Angelo and I do the same job and know the same people so we've got more of a shared interest."

Joey nodded.

"I like to hear about her day and everything," Joey explained, pouring out another two glasses of wine. "But they talk about the ins and outs of the love lives and stuff of people I don't know. And by the sounds of it, I don't really want to know them. They talk about the life they had before I was in it... you know, private jokes and everything."

"You feel shut out," Charlie concluded.

Joey nodded a little uncertainly.

"Shall we go and sit outside?" Joey suggested. "It's still warm out."

Charlie nodded. She took her glass and the nearly empty bottle. Joey grabbed a fresh one from the fridge and they headed out to back garden together. Settling at the small table and chairs together, Charlie continued their conversation.

"Do you get to talk about your life much?" she asked.

"I guess," Joey said, although her mind was screaming 'no'.

"Tell me about it," Charlie suddenly said.

Joey looked up sharply.

"What?"

"Tell me about your work and your life and your loves and your hates," Charlie urged.

Joey eyed her curiously. A smile twitched at the corner of her mouth.

"Come on," Charlie said. "This is your night. I want to know everything about you!"

* * *

><p>Ruby went out to see Xavier and her friends on the promise that she would be back by her curfew. Angelo had suggested that he and Mel went out for drinks and after several glasses of wine, Mel was thoroughly enjoying herself. Many of the locals had come over to introduce themselves and Angelo was paying her a lot of attention. He listened as she described her life, telling him where she grew up and how long she'd been with Joey. The cameras continued to roll.<p>

"Hang on, wait," Angelo interrupted. "But you told me about a girl you were seeing a couple of years ago."

Mel sipped her wine.

"Joey and I have an understanding," she said.

It wasn't a subject that had come up so far but she supposed there was no time like the present.

"An understanding?"

"Yeah. I have a... high sex drive," she purred, taking a moment to bat her eyelashes at him.

He shifted a little in his seat.

"So, I get to be with Joey but if I want to, I can go and have the odd fling or one night stand with someone else."

Angelo raised his eyebrows.

"And Joey's okay with that?"

"She understands," Mel said, refusing to accept that Joey might not like the arrangement as much as she liked to believe.

She made eye contact with Angelo and he blushed. Shifting his position again, he downed the last of his pint.

"You're obviously a very lucky girl," he said.

He cleared his throat.

"Charlie would go insane if I slept with someone else," he said. "I did. She did."

He sighed. Mel eagerly waited for an elaboration.

* * *

><p>"There's not much to tell really about me," Joey said a little shyly.<p>

She was definitely not used to such rapt attention.

"I left home when I was sixteen. I came out and got thrown out," she said.

"What?" Charlie exclaimed.

"My parents were pretty traditional," Joey said. "Homophobic. It was... well, it was just easier for me to leave."

"Where did you go?"

"I came here," Joey said. "I squatted for a while and got a job. Worked my butt off on a fishing trawler until I'd earned enough to get a bed-sit to rent."

"Wow," Charlie said.

Joey blushed.

"I worked in the day and I finished my education in night school," she said. "I got a qualification in business and then a few years ago, I went to the bank and got a business loan. I bought the boat, Aden came on board to work for me and... that's how it's been ever since."

"You're a really determined girl," Charlie said. "I'm impressed. How can you...?"

She trailed off.

"What?" Joey asked.

"Nothing."

"Go on..."

"How can you have gone out and fought for everything you want and then at home... well... at home...?"

"Get walked all over like a doormat?" Joey asked.

Charlie swallowed and managed a quiet 'yes'. Joey just shrugged.

"Guess I'm flawed," she said with a grin.

Charlie smiled too. She reached out and held Joey's hand for a moment.

"I think you're amazing," she said, surprising herself with her own honesty.

Joey blushed and thanked her quietly.

"I mean it," Charlie said. "I think it's remarkable that you've come so far, pushed through so much."

Joey blushed even more and finished her wine.

"Tell me about you," she said, changing the subject.

Suddenly she yawned loudly, making Charlie laugh.

"I think that's for another night," she said.

"I'm fine," Joey said through another yawn.

Charlie chuckled and reached out pull Joey to her feet.

"I'm sure I'm fine," Joey said, feeling suddenly very tired.

Charlie hugged her. They stayed close for a few moments. Charlie rested her head on top of Joey's. She breathed in the smell of her shampoo and closed her eyes. She was startled to realise how perfectly Joey fit in her arms.

"Let's get you to bed," she said.

"Is that an offer?" Joey smirked as she followed Charlie into the house.

Charlie laughed.

"Well, as highly recommended as you are, I don't think either of our partners will be keen!" she replied.

"Wait," Joey said, stopping in the lounge. "I need to clear up the..."

"I'll do it," Charlie promised.

Joey hesitated and began to argue. Charlie took her by the hand and into her room.

"Now, are you going to behave or am I going to have to undress you?"

Joey pondered her answer with a smirk on her face and then agreed to behave. Giggling to herself, Charlie left her in peace and headed downstairs to tidy up. The camera continued to record everything.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Joey tells Aden about her evening with Charlie while Angelo feels awkward around Mel...<em>


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Still Ten Weeks Ago..._

Joey woke up and a rush of memories from the night before came at her. They made her head hurt. She had openly flirted with Charlie. On camera.

"That's why I shouldn't drink," she told herself, closing her eyes.

She sighed.

"But she's so lovely," she continued. "She's just so... lovely."

Hauling herself out of bed she opted to get showered before she did anything else. It wasn't part of her usual routine but she hoped it would help her freshen up and clear her head before she saw Charlie again. Picturing her new wife's face, she couldn't help but smile and feel a little silly.

"Oh no!" she said suddenly, standing in the middle of her and Mel's bedroom. "I like her."

* * *

><p>Mel woke up disappointingly alone. Once the cameras had gone, not before catching Angelo pouring his heart out about how he had cheated on Charlie and felt like he'd been made to pay for it ever since, Mel had made her move. They'd kissed. Then Angelo had run off to bed feeling guilty for straying again. She'd followed and told him that it was okay and both Charlie and Joey would understand. Angelo insisted that Charlie would never understand and never forgive him and that all he could be grateful for was that Ruby was out and the cameras had already gone.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlie heard someone in the shower so she headed down the stairs. Finding the kitchen empty, she flicked the kettle on and then answered the door to the camera crew who all trooped in munching their own breakfast.<p>

"I think Joey's in the shower," Charlie said. "I hope she doesn't have a hangover."

She smiled and began to make coffee. The lasagne leftovers had gone so she assumed Sam was back. Before long, Joey came down. She was dressed and had wet hair. She smiled a little shyly at Charlie and wished her good morning.

"Morning," Charlie replied.

She noted Joey's shyness and assured her that she had nothing to be embarrassed about.

"I just have this horrible feeling that I flirted with you last night," Joey said as Charlie set a coffee down in front of her.

"You did. But hey, I'm certainly not adverse to a beautiful woman flirting with me!"

Joey laughed and blushed some more.

"Plus, I'm sure I gave as good as I got," Charlie added.

She took her own coffee and came to sit beside her.

"Tell me if I overstep the boundaries, okay?" Joey requested.

Charlie put her hand on Joey's and assured her that everything was fine.

"Good!" Joey said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Would you like breakfast?"

* * *

><p>Ruby sat between Angelo and Mel at the breakfast table. The atmosphere was awkward to say the least and she couldn't work out why.<p>

"Did you guys have a fight or something?" she asked.

"No," Angelo replied. "Mel's just a little homesick and I'm missing Charlie."

He purposely met his pretend wife's gaze and she focussed on eating the charcoal she'd prepared under the guise of being toast. Ruby frowned.

"I miss Mum too," she said. "I hope she's having a nice time with your family, Mel."

* * *

><p>Aden chuckled as Joey relayed her evening with Charlie to him.<p>

"You're totally overreacting," he said.

Joey frowned, glad that the cameras were shooting their customers instead of them for a moment.

"I have a crush on my wife," she said unhappily.

Then she frowned at how dumb it sounded. Aden laughed.

"Shut up!" she snapped. "You know what I mean! This show isn't meant to swap wives for real!"

"Well, you could do a hell of a lot worse than Charlie," Aden told her. "She's good looking, she's got a good job, she's nice, she's fun, she's good looking..."

"You said that already," Joey pointed out.

"Well, she is!" Aden said. "What I'm saying is that you could do much worse. Like, Mel for example."

Joey shook her head. She had never looked at another woman before. Mel was all she had been interested in for years. She adored her, even if she did get treated somewhat like a slave. But Charlie... Charlie was something else. She made Joey's heart race and her head feel all cloudy.

* * *

><p>Mel sat beside Angelo in the patrol car. He was seriously starting to regret that he'd made a special request to take her out. After the kiss they had shared the night before he could barely stand to be around her. He'd promised himself that he would never go near anyone that wasn't Charlie. And it didn't help that he didn't know what kind of experience Charlie was having. While he was off kissing Mel, Charlie could be going through hell and he wouldn't even know. Or worse, she could have taken a shine to Joey. Mel's girlfriend certainly did sound lovely and he'd fancied her himself when Mel had brandished photos. He'd spent a couple of nights at least picturing them together. And while he didn't believe in bisexuality, he was aware that Charlie had had relationships with women. He was aware that she could be attracted to them, although he was sure she preferred men. He was sure she preferred him.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlie was napping on the sofa when Joey got home. Ruby was curled up asleep on her chest and Indie just below his sister. Joey could help but think it was cute.<p>

"Aww..." she said into the camera.

At the noise, the cats stirred, as did Charlie.

"Hey," she said sleepily.

The cats trotted over to Joey as she said hello to Charlie and made a fuss of her pets. The best things about the house were her cats, as far as Joey was concerned. Charlie swung her legs over the edge of the sofa and stretched into a sitting position. Smiling, Joey came to sit beside her. The cats jumped back up. Indie nuzzled Joey and Ruby made a fuss of Charlie. They'd become firm friends since Charlie had first moved in.

"How was your day?" Joey asked.

"It was okay," Charlie said.

"Productive?" Joey asked cheekily.

"This life makes you lazy!" Charlie replied with a yawn.

She had never been so inactive before. She certainly couldn't remember ever working part time. And if she did, she was sure she'd fill her spare hours with something more productive. She was definitely looking forward to rule change day. She was keen to give Joey some time off.

"How are you?" Charlie asked.

Joey nodded and stroked Indie.

"Pretty good," she said. "I'm looking forward to taking you out on the boat next week."

Charlie beamed at her.

"So am I!" she said.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Mel and Angelo kiss again while Charlie and Joey continue to get closer...<em>


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Nearly Nine Weeks Ago..._

It was the end of the week and Charlie had finished at work. The girls had closed up so that they could have an extended lunch and say goodbye. Charlie had no intention of going back to the salon for the rest of the week. Working in a salon meant nothing to her and she got the feeling it didn't mean anything to Mel either. She didn't pay attention to it and she didn't seem to work very hard. And Charlie wanted to use her week for something more productive.

She wanted to take some chore duty away from Joey and she wanted to show her a good time, have some fun and pay her some attention that she was sure she needed. She was looking forward to going out on the boat with her and expressing an interest in her life.

Heading home, Charlie came in and played with the cats who hurried to greet her. She had developed a particular bond with Ruby, probably because of her name. The tiny black cat was adorable and Charlie liked the little tuft of white fur on her chest. Indie was a handsome boy and she'd never known a cat to purr so loudly. Not that she had spent a lot of time with cats. But the more time she spent with these two, the more animal friendly she was becoming. Chuckling to herself, she wondered if she ought to get a hamster or something and call it Joey.

* * *

><p>Mel had enjoyed the patrol yesterday, although she could do without all the frosty silence from Angelo. Today, they were back in the car and looking out at the beach drinking coffee. Angelo was silent and thoughtful. He wondered what Charlie was doing now. He missed her and wished she was the one sitting beside him.<p>

"Okay, seriously, enough with the silent treatment!" Mel finally burst out.

He turned to her, painfully aware of the camera in the back of the car.

"Charlie isn't going to dump you over one kiss."

"Mel!" Angelo squeaked.

He glanced back at the crew who were filming with renewed interest.

"How the hell can you say that on camera?" he asked.

She shrugged.

"I can say it because I don't care all that much. Joey won't mind me getting it on with you. Hell, she'll expect it."

"Your girlfriend might be a doormat but mine isn't," Angelo hissed. "And now you've gone and announced it on film."

He looked helplessly at the cameraman and begged him to lose the tape.

"Sorry, mate," the blonde guy said. "That's just not worth losing my job over."

Angelo pulled a face.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically.

Charlie was going to kill him.

* * *

><p>Joey arrived home to find Charlie on the floor with a piece of paper, begging Ruby to stop sitting on it. Chuckling, Joey closed the door and asked what they were up to.<p>

"Oh, I was just musing rule change ideas," Charlie said, putting the lid back on her pen. "Ruby was... helping."

Joey grinned and came to sit down beside them. Indie leapt onto her lap. Ruby remained firmly on the sheet of paper.

"She's a bit of a demon for sitting right on top of something you're trying to use. Laptop... paper... book... photos..."

Charlie reached out and stroked the little black cat.

"I've noticed," she said. "So, how was your day?"

"Yeah, it was pretty good. We had some amusing tours. Although I'm really looking forward to the weekend. I'm exhausted."

"I'm not surprised," Charlie commented. "You never stop."

Joey sighed.

"It's not so much that," she said. "I think I've pulled something in my back or something."

"You're hurt?"

"Yeah, I was lifting too many heavy things today," Joey said.

"Come, sit," Charlie ordered, opening her legs and gesturing for Joey to sit in between them and in front of her.

Joey looked sceptical.

"I took a course in massage a few years ago," Charlie explained.

Joey smiled and held back a naughty comment. Charlie caught it anyway.

"For the purpose of healing!" she said as Joey moved to where she wanted her. "Not that it hasn't got other uses too!"

Joey chuckled and then closed her eyes in sheer delight as she felt Charlie working out the knot just below her shoulder blade.

"You're good at that!" she said almost dreamily.

"Well, I did pass," Charlie replied.

Her hands shook a little as she touched the woman she was painfully aware of being attracted to. It was weird. She hadn't looked at another person in years. She'd barely looked at Angelo either, if she was being honest. And yet with Joey, she couldn't stop looking. She thought she was the most beautiful woman she'd ever met. And touching her, even in a therapeutic way and over her clothes, felt heavenly. Joey moaned a little and then blushed in embarrassment.

"Nice to know I do it for you!" Charlie joked.

"You certainly do!" Joey admitted.

* * *

><p>Angelo stormed back into the house with Mel right behind him. They'd argued for the rest of the afternoon and the cameras had filmed every single word and gesture.<p>

"All I'm saying is that just because you've got a fucked up relationship, it doesn't mean you have to wreck mine too!" Angelo yelled across the kitchen.

"I do not have a fucked up relationship! And I haven't fucked yours up either, Angelo! If I remember correctly, you kissed me right back!" Mel snapped.

"But I wasn't the one who admitted it on fucking camera!"

"Oh, so you'd rather spend the rest of your life lying to Charlie?" Mel challenged. "Joey and I might not be conventional but at least we're honest with each other."

"Do you seriously think that girl doesn't mind you screwing every man and woman you meet?" Angelo said, exasperated.

"Of course she doesn't mind," Mel insisted. "And I don't screw everyone. I haven't done you, have I?"

"You've tried!"

"You wish!"

He stepped a little closer.

"I want this swap to be over right now," he said. "I can't even bear to look at you!"

Mel laughed.

"Don't laugh at me!" he snapped.

She leant in and kissed him. Surprised, he pulled back. Then he moved forward again and resumed their act of intimacy.

* * *

><p>Charlie finished working on Joey and was pleased when the other girl fell back against her, resting the back of her head on Charlie's shoulder and closing her eyes.<p>

"That was amazing," Joey declared. "I wish you were here all the time."

Charlie chuckled and carefully wrapped her arms around her. It felt strangely normal to hold her in this way and she hoped Joey wouldn't be uncomfortable and move. She didn't. She simply turned her head and continued to snuggle against her body.

"Well, maybe I can work a daily massage into next week's rule change," Charlie said.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Joey said.

"I don't mind," Charlie said.

And she really didn't. The idea of getting to touch Joey on a regular basis was more than appealing.

"This is nice," Joey said.

She blushed. She hadn't meant to say anything like that out loud.

"What is?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Being held," Joey admitted. "It's nice. I don't get to do this kind of thing a lot."

"You don't?" Charlie said. "I would have thought Mel would..."

"She likes to have sex," Joey said. "She doesn't do the cuddling thing. I like cuddles."

"Me too," Charlie said softly. "Angelo's not really that kind of person either."

They stayed in each other's arms for a while, forgetting the cameras and enjoying each other's comfort and company.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Ruby grows suspicious of Angelo who decides he wants to call time on the swap...<em>


	17. Chapter 17

_Hi everyone. I don't think I have ever had so many reviews all in one go before! You definitely made my day better. Thank you. The majority of votes seemed to be for this one so here is an extra chapter._

_I was most amused by those who commented on the pets in this fic. I can't claim imagination on them, I'm afraid. Ruby (not named by me) is my baby girl and Indie is her brother, who lives with an ex of mine. Most of their antics come from real life, especially the tendency to sit very inconveniently. And Indie's ribbon action in this chapter is also true._

_And I confess, I do have a hamster called Joey (this time, named by me). I had a Charlie who died a few months ago but Joey is a trooper. She is well past her sell by date, isn't really very well and only has one functioning eye but she is still the happiest hamster in the world! She's amazing! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and I shall be back on Saturday. Love, IJKS xxx_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter Seventeen<span>**

_Still Nearly Nine Weeks Ago..._

On Saturday morning, Charlie stayed in her room and began to work on her rule change ideas. The camera remained on her and she attempted to answer questions.

"My objective is to bring some equality into this house," she explained. "Right now, Joey's treated like a slave and Mel and Sam don't lift a finger. Next week, Sam and I are going to maintain this house and Joey is going to have her first break in years."

She smiled triumphantly and hoped the rules would be a success. Joey deserved better than the life she had now. She deserved someone to care for her, help her, give her some attention and affection. Although, she worried that the attention and affection she was offering a lot of the time was inappropriate. Playing house with Joey worked so well. She enjoyed it almost too much and it was far too easy to forget that she had a boyfriend at home. A boyfriend that was currently sharing a house with Joey's girlfriend.

* * *

><p>Angelo couldn't look Ruby in the eye. He was overcome with guilt. Last night, he had taken Mel to bed... to his and Charlie's bed. He'd had sex with her and he'd enjoyed it. She had much more fiery passion than Charlie and as much as he loved his girlfriend, he was wondering if they had a future at all. Well, he doubted they would if she saw the footage of Angelo and Mel forgetting about the cameras, kissing and then dragging each other upstairs. The likelihood of the show having compassion and not airing those particular scenes was extremely low. And the price he would pay would be high.<p>

"What's wrong with you?" Ruby asked, finishing her toast.

Angelo blanched and focussed on his own breakfast.

"I just didn't sleep so well," he said, anxious not to get caught out.

Mel smirked at him from the other side of the table.

* * *

><p>"I thought you'd disappeared," Joey said when Charlie finally emerged from her room and out onto the drive with a bowl of cereal.<p>

She'd seen Joey outside washing the car so thought she would go and say hello. She hadn't quite been able to help taking a few moments to admire her. Joey was wearing short shorts and a skimpy, sleeveless top. She had tanned, slender legs and gently muscular arms, probably acquired through the physical work she did on the boat.

"I was rule changing," Charlie explained, leaning against the door frame.

Joey flipped her hair back, wondering, as she did every time, why she never learnt to tie her hair back when she was washing the car. Charlie watched her struggle. Smiling, she put her bowl on the floor, take her band out of her own hair and gently reached over to tie Joey's up.

"Thanks," Joey said gratefully. "I should really think before I do things!"

"You and me both," Charlie admitted.

She picked her bowl back up and continued eating.

"What are you plans for today?" Charlie asked.

"Nothing really," Joey said. "I might go for a beer with Aden later. Would you like to come?"

Charlie's eyes lit up.

"I'd love to," she said.

Joey smiled at her and carried on with her task.

"Can I help?" Charlie offered.

"Nope," Joey smirked. "We can't go breaking the rules now, can we?"

Charlie laughed. She watched Joey work for a few moments more and then headed back inside.

* * *

><p>Ruby and Xavier walked along the beach, hand in hand while the cameras followed them.<p>

"So, what do you think happened?" Xavier asked.

Ruby was fretting over Angelo, sure that something was wrong. She sighed heavily and looked at him.

"I don't know," she said. "But he was acting seriously weird."

"Well, having another woman in the house has got to be a bit strange," Xavier said. "Maybe he's just missing Charlie."

"Or maybe he's not missing her at all!" Ruby said.

Xavier frowned and stopped walking.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Ruby stopped too and faced him. She shoved her hands into her pockets and sighed heavily.

"Mel's acting weird too," she said. "I mean, she's been weird from day one but today... I don't know. She's been giving him all these funny looks, smirking and giggling and stuff. What if something's happened between them?"

"No way," Xavier said. "Angelo would never cheat on Charlie."

Ruby sank onto the sand. Xavier sat with her and they gazed out at the sea.

"I never told you this because Mum swore me to secrecy but he did cheat on her once before," Ruby said, aware that the film crew were picking up on everything.

She hoped she looked okay on film.

"What?" Xavier managed. "He cheated on her?"

He for one, couldn't imagine why. Charlie was lovely. She was beautiful and intelligent, she was a wonderful and devoted mother and a good person. Ruby took after her a great deal and he knew his girlfriend took comfort from that. She didn't want to have any aspect of her father's personality in her at all.

"It was one night stand," Ruby explained. "They were having problems and he strayed. They nearly split up but she decided to give him another chance. She said that's why we're doing this show. Things aren't going so great between them and they were hoping that getting paired with some horrific people would make them appreciate each other. But Mel isn't horrific... well, not to look at anyway. What if it's done the opposite? What if Angelo cheated on my Mum?"

Xavier shook his head, sure that Angelo wouldn't be such an idiot, especially not on film. It wasn't like Charlie wouldn't find out about it if the film crew had any kind of awareness.

"By the sounds of it, Mel has no problems cheating on that girl, Joey," Ruby said. "I don't know. I have this horrible feeling that Mum's going to get hurt."

Xavier put his arm around her.

"Listen, whatever happens, Charlie will be fine," he said. "She's a strong person. And it sounds like that Joey is a nice girl so she's probably having a great time with her."

"But what about when she comes home?"

"If she and Angelo don't last, she'll still be okay. She's got you, after all."

Ruby smiled and kissed him, feeling comforted.

* * *

><p>Having washed the car, Joey showered and then came back downstairs. Charlie was playing with Ruby and Indie, sending them chasing round the room, chasing a ribbon. Sam was watching television. Joey watched Charlie for a little while, smiling to herself.<p>

"Hey," she said, letting both girls know she was in the room.

Sam looked up briefly and Charlie stopped running the ribbon along the floor.

"Aden and I are going for a drink," she said. "Anyone want to come?"

Charlie nodded eagerly and Sam shook her head without looking up from the television.

"When are you going?" Charlie asked.

"Five minutes or so," said Joey.

"I'll go get ready," Charlie said, standing up.

She stopped when he heard a pitiful meow. Indigo sat at her feet with the ribbon in his mouth, asking her to play again.

"Oh, he's so cute!" Charlie said, sinking back down onto the floor, taking the ribbon and resuming their entertainment. "I have got to get a cat when I get home."

Joey chuckled. Charlie turned back to face her.

"Ten minutes?" she requested hopefully.

Joey nodded and came to sit beside her as the cats ran around them like creatures possessed.

* * *

><p>Mel was struggling to do the laundry. She complained loudly at the cameras and said that as much fun as she had been having with Angelo, she was looking forward to going back home where Joey did all the boring tasks for her. She hoped that Charlie hadn't made too many dramatic changes to her house. With her whole theory about people sharing household labour, she was a little worried. What if Joey suddenly decided that they had to share tasks there? She shuddered at the mere thought. Upstairs, Angelo was seated at the end of his bed, resting his elbow on his knees and his face in his hands. Rubbing his eyes, he looked directly at the camera.<p>

"I know you're going to show what happened," he said. "So, I guess I just want to say now that I am so sorry. When Charlie finds out about this, she's going to want to leave me so I just have to do everything I can to make her stay. I love you so much, Charlie. I do. I don't know why this happened and I wish I could take it back. I mean, what was I thinking? Charlie is the most amazing woman in the world!"

He shook his head.

"What was I thinking?" he muttered.

Standing up, he shoved his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath.

"I want to call off the swap."

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Charlie is upset to learn that Angelo wants to stop the swap and gets even closer to Joey... <em>


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Still Nearly Nine Weeks Ago..._

Charlie and Joey arrived at the pub and found Aden in the corner, sipping a beer and reading a newspaper.

"Sorry we're late," Joey said, taking Charlie's hand to guide her through a small crowd.

They sat down together and broke apart.

"_Someone _got carried away with the cats," Joey explained.

Aden put his paper down.

"Now, you sound like you're incriminating Charlie. However, I have lost count of the times _you've _been late for the exact same reason."

Joey looked mortified. Charlie snorted with laughter. The cameras were trained on them throughout. The crew had been told to specifically hone in on any kind of interaction between Charlie and Joey. The chemistry was blindingly obvious and, having heard on the grapevine that things had also got a little steamy between Angelo and Mel, this particular episode was shaping up to be memorable to say the least. They'd done their best to catch every look, hug and handhold that the girls shared. Privately, the crew had all agreed that Charlie and Joey seemed to have more going on than lust. It looked real. It looked adorable.

"What would you like to drink?" Charlie asked Joey.

"Um..."

She thought about it for a few moments, pondering. Aden rolled his eyes and once again thought that Joey was the worst decision maker in existence.

"I think I'll have a beer," she concluded.

"Sure," Charlie said. "Aden, would you like another?"

"Oh, yeah, that'd be great," Aden said. "Thanks."

He was half way through his drink. Charlie smiled cheerfully and headed up to the bar.

"Holding hands?" Aden questioned, deciding to get straight to the point.

Joey coloured and immediately began to explain that she'd just been helping her through the crowd.

"Yeah, right!"

"I was!" Joey insisted.

"You are so hot for her," Aden said.

Joey looked horrified. She glanced anxiously at the cameras, desperately hoping that maybe they'd followed Charlie instead.

"I'm not!" Joey said. "Seriously, Aden, you're going to get me intro trouble."

"What, with the Wicked Witch of the West?"

"Hey! Haven't you seen _Wicked? _Elphaba was not a bad person!"

Aden grinned.

"So, I notice you haven't denied that Mel is evil," he said triumphantly.

"She's not evil," Joey said. "She's nice. You just don't know her like I do."

"And I'm pretty much the only person who doesn't," he remarked.

She glared at him and he apologised, aware that he had probably gone too far. Joey was more than a little bit sensitive about Mel's tendency to end up in bed with anyone and everyone.

"Here you go," Charlie said, arriving back at the table and setting all three drinks down.

She took a seat beside Joey.

"Now, all that looked terribly animated," she said brightly. "What did I miss?"

* * *

><p>Angelo refused to talk until the cameras were turned off. So, now, with the crew gone and Mel having gone for a walk, he and the producer, Nicholas were sitting in the kitchen discussing everything over coffee.<p>

"Are you sure you want to quit?" Nicholas asked.

He was disappointed. This was certainly shaping up to be a highly viewed episode and it was a shame to lose the rest of the footage they were hoping to shoot. With Charlie and Joey getting closer in the other house, and Angelo and Mel having clearly slept together, it was all rather exciting.

"I have to," Angelo said. "I can't carry on living with that woman after..."

He sighed, picturing Charlie's sad and disappointed face. She would leave him. He couldn't bear it.

"Okay, so, you quit now and then what?" Nicholas asked. "You lie until she sees it and finds out what happened?"

"I'll tell her."

"Don't you think...?"

"I want to quit," Angelo said firmly.

"Just hear me out," Nicholas requested.

Angelo sighed and nodded, folding his arms.

"Don't you think it would be a hell of a lot better if you carried on and spent the next week doing everything you can to make it up to your girlfriend?"

"My girlfriend isn't here," Angelo pointed out.

"But she'll see the remorse and the grief on screen," Nicholas said.

"She'll also see me taking Mel upstairs to our room," Angelo said.

"If you continue with the show, I can make lighter of what happened and more of you trying to make things up to Charlie," Nicholas said.

Angelo looked suspicious but interested.

"Seriously?"

"I'm not against you, Angelo. I want to help you, okay? We can make this work... and serve both our interests at the same time."

Angelo thought about it. He licked his lips and concentrated hard.

"No," he finally said. "I want to quit."

* * *

><p>Charlie was having a lovely time with Joey and Aden. They certainly made a humorous double act. But fortunately, they also refused to be exclusive. Every in-joke was explained so that she could be included in the laughter. They bounced off each other but didn't stop her from contributing. It was nice.<p>

"Um... Charlie? Joey?"

Both women were surprised to find the co-producer, Sophie standing over them, not looking happy.

"Is something wrong?" Charlie asked worriedly. "Is Ruby okay?"

Joey put a gentle hand on top of Charlie's, hoping that her new friend's fears were unfounded.

"She's fine," Sophie promised. "But it looks like we have to stop shooting."

Aden politely excused himself to give them privacy – well, as much privacy as was possible in a crowded bar with two cameras trained on them. Sophie took his vacant seat.

"What's happened?" Joey asked.

She was bereft at the mere thought of losing the promised week with Charlie.

"Angelo doesn't want to continue," Sophie explained.

"But we do!" Charlie protested.

She didn't think she'd ever been quite so angry with Angelo before, except for when she'd found out he'd cheated. She didn't want to go home. She wanted to spend the next week with Joey. She wasn't ready to say goodbye.

"I'm sorry," Sophie said. "He's unhappy with the way things are going on he wants to quit. He wants you to come home."

Charlie sighed.

"Why is he unhappy?"

"I'm not really allowed to tell you anything that's going on over there," Sophie said.

How would she ever explain that Angelo was quitting because he had sex with Joey's girlfriend behind Charlie's back?

"Well, if he's fucked it up and called time on it all, you can tell me," Charlie snapped.

She looked at Joey who looked extremely disappointed.

"He's not getting on with Mel so well," Sophie said.

It was kind of true. Since the previous night, they hadn't even looked at each other. Joey groaned and immediately felt irritated with her girlfriend. She didn't want Charlie to go home. She didn't want Mel to come back. She had been desperately looking forward to their week together. Having only one week left was bad enough without cutting it even shorter. Charlie sighed. She found Joey's hand under the table and offered a gentle squeeze. They smiled sadly at each other. Charlie sighed loudly and turned back to Sophie.

"Tell him I said to sleep on it," she said. "He's always making rash decisions like this. He needs to sleep on it, think about it and then if he's that desperate to quit then I guess I'll have to go home. But I really don't want to."

Sophie nodded.

"I'll let him know and come back to you," she promised.

* * *

><p>Angelo headed out to the gym. He waved at Tony for a brief moment but generally gave off a silent warning for people not to talk to him. He headed straight for the punch bag, put some gloves on and launched an attack. The cameras had resumed filming and were carefully observing his frustration. He was angry with himself and with Mel but, more than that, he was angry for not wanting to take it back. The night had been hot, Mel was gorgeous and full of energy. She wasn't exactly better than Charlie, but she was definitely different. And with difference, came excitement and a refreshing change. But he loved Charlie and he didn't want to lose her. He was very aware that he could do a hell of a lot worse. He had already done a hell of a lot worse. In so many ways, Charlie was his dream girl. But in so many ways, he felt like they were drifting apart. He felt like Charlie didn't really want him anymore, at least not physically. She seemed to go through the motions these days instead of anything really romantic. Getting more frustrated by the minute, he continued to punch the bag.<p>

* * *

><p>Mel arrived back at the house and found it empty. She wondered where Angelo was and if he abandoned Charlie like this often. She'd very much enjoyed her night with him and she'd been hoping to do it at least one more time before she went home. But now he was avoiding her and the atmosphere was nothing short of frosty. She wondered if he was like that all the time. The more she thought about it, the more she was beginning to appreciate what she had with Joey. Mel got to do what she wanted all the time and Joey was always there, loving her and respecting her. She never let her down.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlie and Joey arrived home together. Both were feeling glum and wished that Angelo would stop making a fuss. Charlie sank onto the sofa. Ruby jumped onto her lap, purring and welcoming her home. Joey came to sit beside her and Indie hopped up to join them, not wanting to be left out. Joey sighed and took hold of Charlie's hand.<p>

"I don't want you to go," she admitted.

Charlie gazed at her.

"I don't want to go," she replied. "I just hope Angelo gets over himself and forgets about quitting. I hope he and Mel can get along and you and I get to spend the week together. I'm really not ready to leave you yet."

Joey ran her thumb over the back of Charlie's hand. She lifted it to her lips and kissed it, making Charlie smile.

"This last week has been amazing," Joey said.

"It really has," said Charlie.

"I think..."

Joey trailed off.

"What do you think?" Charlie wondered.

Joey chewed her lip.

"I think you're an amazing person," she finally said.

Charlie blushed and smiled at her.

"I think you're pretty amazing too," she replied.

The cats jumped off as the women leant in to hug each other. They held on for a long while, forgetting that they were being filmed. Catching each other's eye as they drew apart, they came together again and kissed.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Angelo agrees to continue the swap, Charlie and Joey admit how they really feel and Mel tries to bond with Ruby...<em>


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Still Nearly Nine Weeks Ago..._

Joey felt her heart racing as Charlie's lips continued to brush against hers. She leant in closer and gently wrapped her arms around Charlie, pulling her closer and deepening their kiss. Charlie kept her eyes closed, relishing the touch and taste of Joey. Kissing her was something she'd fantasised about on more than one occasion and the real thing was certainly living up to her imaginings. She felt Joey's tongue flick against her mouth. Parting her lips, Charlie welcomed Joey in, never wanting their kiss to end.

* * *

><p>Angelo sat at the kitchen table with Nicholas, trying to figure out how he felt about Charlie's message. She was telling him that they ought to carry on. Didn't she care that he was struggling?<p>

"So, she's having a good time over there then?" he asked.

"I'm not allowed to say," Nicholas said.

Angelo glared at him.

"She must be though," he said. "If she's refusing to come home to a boyfriend that needs her."

He bitterly wondered if something was going on between Charlie and Mel's girlfriend. She claimed to be bisexual, although it wasn't something he believed in. But no, she loved him, didn't she? She'd never stray. He was the one who'd messed up. He was the one who'd screwed around. There was no point in shirking responsibility.

"So, she wants me to stick with it?"

"She said to sleep on it and decide later," Nicholas said. "Not to rush into anything."

Angelo nodded and sighed heavily.

"Okay," he said. "We can continue. For now."

* * *

><p>Charlie and Joey reluctantly pulled away from each other. The camera crew didn't so much as blink. Both women flushed as they realised what they had done. Their precious first kiss had been caught on camera for all, including Mel and Angelo, to see. But while they did feel a little embarrassed, neither one could quite bring herself to feel guilty. Joey leant back against the sofa cushions. She took Charlie's hands and guided her into her arms. There was a lot to talk about. But for now, they just wanted to stay shrouded in silence and hold each other for a little longer.<p>

* * *

><p>Angelo busied himself with making dinner. He still felt stressed and just looking at Mel made him feel guilty, largely because while he regretted it, sleeping with her was actually something he wouldn't mind doing again. It had been different than with Charlie. Sometimes he thought Charlie slept with him because she was meant to, not because she desperately wanted to. Mel's passion had been insatiable. She'd actually worn him out. It had been absolutely amazing.<p>

* * *

><p>A knock on the door interrupted Charlie and Joey's hug. Plunged back into reality, both women felt guilty. They were only meant to kiss their partners and yet they had kissed each other. And it had been the best kiss of both of their lives. But it had been caught on camera. Whatever happened now, they would have a lot of explaining to do. Disentangling herself and painfully aware of the camera, Joey stood and opened the front door. It was Sophie.<p>

"Everything's back on," she said, breezing into the house.

She perched on an arm chair. Joey returned to sitting beside Charlie, although she remained a safe distance away.

"Angelo's happy to continue?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," Sophie said. "It took a bit of convincing but he's willing to battle it out."

"Great!" Charlie said, genuinely thrilled.

She did not want to be taken away from Joey any sooner than she had to. The two women smiled at each other. The cameras were sure to catch it.

"What happened?" Charlie asked.

"I'm not allowed to say," Sophie said awkwardly.

The last thing she wanted to do was let Charlie know that her boyfriend had spent the night with Joey's girlfriend, although she got the feeling that something interesting was also happening between Charlie and Joey here.

"You're the producer!" Joey laughed.

"Well, it's the show rules not to let either party know what's happening at home," Sophie said with a grin. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Charlie said. "No chance I can ask about Ruby then?"

"You can ask but I can't answer."

"She's okay though?"

Sophie stood up.

"Aside from missing you, I think everything's good with her," she said.

Charlie smiled. She missed her daughter terribly and she couldn't wait to tell her everything that had happened this last week. Charlie felt like her whole life had changed. They saw Sophie out and then turned back to each other.

* * *

><p>Ruby, Xavier, Mel and Angelo all sat around the dinner table. Mel was particularly grateful that Angelo had cooked.<p>

"I couldn't handle another night of burnt toast," he smirked.

She hit him playfully in the arm. Ruby and the camera crew watched the interaction. The teenager couldn't help but feel suspicious. She'd liked Angelo. Mostly. He wasn't unpleasant to have around at least. But he wasn't a father. She didn't need a father. Her mother had always been everything to her and she had never wanted for anything else.

"Hey, Ruby?" Mel asked, changing the subject.

"Yes?"

"Would you let me take you to a movie tonight?"

"Tonight?"

Mel nodded and smiled.

"I figured as your pretend Mum we ought to bond."

Ruby glanced a little uncertainly at Xavier and reluctantly agreed.

* * *

><p>"Are you allowed to kiss other people?" Charlie suddenly wondered.<p>

She and Joey were on the sofa. Joey was playing with Indie and Ruby was in Charlie's arms. Joey fondled Indie's ears and listened to him purr loudly before she shook her head.

"Even though...?"

"Mel has made it clear that she can do whatever or whoever the hell she wants but I... can't."

She sighed.

"It's never been a problem until now."

"Really?" Charlie asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ruby flopped onto her back to offer Charlie her tummy.

"Well, I can't say she doesn't piss me off from time to time," Joey admitted. "But I've never had a problem being faithful. I've been with her a few years and I've never looked anywhere else. I've never been attracted to another person. Until you."

They smiled shyly at each other. Charlie focussed on giving Ruby lots of fuss.

"I've never cheated on anyone before," Charlie said. "Not even just kissing. I've always believed in breaking up one relationship before you move onto the next one. I've been cheated on though. It hurts."

Joey nodded. Mel didn't count it as cheating but it hurt every time she ended up with some guy or some girl. She still hadn't quite decided which was worse.

"And it's going to be even worse on national television," Charlie added.

Joey nodded again and sighed heavily. She allowed Indie to nuzzle her cheek. He always made her feel loved.

"But I can't help how I feel," the police officer sighed.

Joey looked up at her.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

* * *

><p>Ruby and Mel got into the car in order to drive to the cinema, leaving Angelo at home to watch some kind of action movie with Xavier in a rare bit of male bonding.<p>

"So," Mel said brightly. "I've got to write new rules tomorrow. Anything you want?"

Ruby grinned.

"I don't think that's how it works, Mel," she said. "I think they're meant to come from you."

"Well, I feel like I haven't really got to know you properly," Mel mused.

"That's because you haven't," Ruby pointed out.

"Well, what kind of thing would you like to change about your home life?" Mel asked, ignoring the comment.

Ruby shrugged.

"Nothing really," she said. "I'm happy. Me and Mum get on great. She's given me a good life."

"What about Angelo?"

"What about him?"

"Do you get on? You don't seem to talk much."

Ruby sat back in her chair and glanced out of the window.

"I don't really know him," she admitted. "I mean, he's nice and all. He's okay, anyway. And he and Mum get on pretty well. But he's not exactly a step-dad. Mum's had partners that have sort of been parents to me. Not many. But a few. But Angelo... he's never really taken that step. Parenting all comes from Mum. Angelo doesn't really get involved. We don't do a whole lot as a family."

"Well, maybe improving things between you and Angelo is what we need to do," Mel suggested brightly.

"Really," Ruby objected. "It's okay."

"Nope," Mel said, glad to have found some kind of new rule for tomorrow. "I will make you and Angelo bond and that is final!"

* * *

><p>"I really like you," Charlie admitted, still stroking the cat.<p>

She glanced up and blushed. Joey was smiling gently at her, playing with Indie. The cats were providing a wonderful distraction and both women were grateful.

"I think you're amazing and I don't... I don't think I've ever felt like this about anyone before."

Joey smiled widened.

"It's like... well, I'm crazily attracted to you. But I also feel like... like you get me. Like you care about me."

"I do care about you," Joey confirmed.

"And I care about you," Charlie said. "I couldn't bear for this week to end and not to see you again. I..."

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. Ruby rubbed noses with her, making her laugh.

"I feel like I don't want to be with Angelo anymore," Charlie admitted. "I wish... I wish you and I had met in different circumstances, in a different life... I could... I could very easily fall in love with you, Joey."

Charlie kept her head down for fear of rejection. She looked up when she felt Ruby being removed from her lap. She glanced down as Ruby and Indigo both sat on the floor. Joey had inched closer. They gazed at each other for a few moments before leaning in for another kiss.

* * *

><p>When she got home, Ruby headed straight up to bed, saying goodnight to both Mel and Angelo. Xavier had long gone and Angelo was considering bed himself when Mel came to sit beside him.<p>

"Nice night?" Angelo asked, switching the television off.

"Yeah, it was pretty good," Mel said pleasantly. "Ruby's pretty funny."

Angelo smiled.

"She's a good kid," he said. "Takes after her mother!"

He smiled sadly, thinking of Charlie. She was beautiful and he loved her. He hoped that she could forgive him for what he had done. And he hoped she would never know that he wished he hadn't come to his senses so soon.

"I think you and Rubes need to do some proper bonding next week," Mel said.

"Really?"

Mel nodded. She studied his face and couldn't help but think that he was handsome. He wasn't Joey. Nobody she had ever been with was quite as good or as lovely as Joey. She supposed that was why, when she went out and dabbled with other people, she knew she would always go home to her. She was one in a million. However, Joey wasn't here now and Angelo was lonely.

"I wouldn't mind bonding with you myself," she almost whispered, leaning into him.

He looked up sharply.

"Mel..." he warned.

She stroked his thigh. He shifted uncomfortably but lost himself in her eyes. She leant in and kissed him.

* * *

><p>With Sam already in bed, Charlie and Joey saw the camera crew out. They headed into the bathroom at the same time and brushed their teeth. Leaving the bathroom, they stood in the hallway for a few moments holding hands. They'd kissed a lot that evening and talked a lot about how they felt. Both were attracted to each other and neither wanted to fight it. But they'd decided not to take things too far or too quickly and that they should keep things away from the cameras. They didn't want to be horrible to their partners. Charlie was almost certain that she didn't want to be with Angelo anymore and Joey was feeling the same about Mel. But both were feeling guilty about it and were unsure of the way forward. They gently kissed each other goodnight and headed into their separate rooms.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Next time... in present day, everyone involved watches the show...<em>


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

_Present Day_

Charlie, Joey, Ruby, Xavier, Ross and Morag remained on the sofa as they continued to watch their television debut. Charlie and Joey were particularly concerned over how they would be portrayed and, despite what had happened between them, they were struggling to brace themselves over watching their exes get intimate on screen. During the advert break, Charlie and Joey had both got up to make drinks and steal a few kisses. They were still getting used to being together but nothing had ever felt so right for either of them. Long gone were the days when they felt ignored and unappreciated.

"In the Buckton-Rosetta household, Mel is struggling to get to grips with being a police officer and domestic goddess," the narrator explained.

Joey snorted loudly with laughter at the mere thought as they watched her ex-girlfriend burn toast and struggle with her uniform. Charlie leant a little closer.

"You're not tempted back with her in that, are you?" she whispered in Joey's ear.

Joey grinned and put her arm around her.

"Why would I want her in uniform when I get to ogle you in uniform every day?" she asked.

Charlie smiled, pleased with the answer and stole a sneaky kiss. Across the sofa, Ruby smiled to herself and held Xavier's hand. She had never seen her mother so happy before. It was nice. On screen, Mel was working at the station and then came home and made a mess of dinner.

"She really was the worst cook in the whole world," Ruby remarked.

"I second that!" said Xavier.

"Several hundred miles away, Charlie is trying to get used to being treated like a Princess," the narrator explained.

The family watched as Joey ran Charlie a bath and Charlie commented to the camera that she really wasn't used to this kind of thing. Joey cringed as she saw herself flirting with Charlie on camera.

"Did I start that early?" she wondered.

Charlie grinned and nodded.

"And it was awesome!" she declared.

* * *

><p>Mel glanced at Sam, feeling annoyed by the easy banter being displayed between Charlie and Joey.<p>

"I wasted a hell of a lot of time feeling guilty over Angelo," she complained.

Sam raised her eyebrows and returned her attention to the television. Charlie was leaving work and having lunch with Joey and Aden.

"Okay," Mel sighed. "I didn't waste any time feeling bad. But Angelo did. We could have had a lot more fun if he'd have known Charlie was so readily going to jump into bed with Joey."

She downed the last of her wine.

"Bitches," she added sourly as she watched them laugh together on screen.

* * *

><p>Alone in his apartment, Angelo wondered why he was putting himself through the show. He couldn't bear watching Charlie being naughty and breaking the rules by cooking dinner for Joey. He watched them clean the kitchen and laugh and relax together. The attraction between them was more than a little obvious. He felt a lump ache in his throat as on screen, Charlie and Joey spent a happy evening together, flirting, eating and drinking.<p>

"In Summer Bay, it appears that Mel and Angelo are also getting closer," said the narrator.

Angelo sat back and swigged his beer. He watched Mel present Pot Noodle for dinner and caught her checking him out as he headed upstairs to get changed after work. He hadn't noticed it at the time. It made him feel good to watch it now.

* * *

><p>"Seriously, guys! Did you ever manage to keep your hands off each other?" Ruby remarked.<p>

"We did!" Charlie told her, embarrassed.

"Doesn't look like it, dude," Xavier laughed.

Charlie glared.

"I mean, Senior Constable Buckton," he added politely.

Ross and Morag shook their heads. The banter in the house was always entertaining. And while Ross hadn't made a big deal of it, he was happy that Charlie had ditched Angelo. He thought Joey seemed very nice and judging by what he was watching on screen, she treated Charlie well.

"It's kind of nice watching myself fall in love on TV," Charlie mused.

Joey beamed at her and kissed her cheek.

"It's pretty cute," Ruby said. "Although, I'm hoping it doesn't get too graphic."

"Oh, it'll get graphic!" Charlie teased.

"Mum!" Ruby squeaked, only calming down when Charlie assured her she was joking.

They turned their attention back to the programme. The narrator spoke.

"The following morning, after flirting with Charlie so much the night before, Joey is feeling a little sheepish and unsure."

Joey cringed as she watched herself approach Charlie and make sure she hadn't done anything wrong the night before. Ruby grinned as they watched.

"Joey, that could easily be the cutest thing I've ever seen!" Ruby announced.

Joey's blush deepened.

* * *

><p>Angelo took a deep breath as right there on screen, Mel declared that they had kissed. He pictured Charlie and wondered if she was watching right now. How would she feel? She'd been annoyed of course and promptly dumped him but she'd looked relieved more than anything. And now he understood far too clearly why. His ex-girlfriend had blatantly been smitten with Joey from the start. He watched his fiery second kiss with Mel with some satisfaction but choked on his beer as the screen switched to the other house and he watched Charlie giving Joey a massage. He felt a lump form in his throat as the two women cuddled on the sofa.<p>

* * *

><p>"It's the day before rule change day and Joey is up early and washing the car," the narrator said.<p>

Charlie and Joey had refused to react to Angelo getting it on with Mel. They'd focussed on their own fledgling relationship on camera that had started with flirtation and had now reached the stage of massages and cuddles. They watched themselves chatting in the sunshine and arrange to go out for a drink.

"But over in Summer Bay, feeling guilty over his liaison with Mel, Angelo wants to call off the swap."

* * *

><p>Mel glared at nobody in particular as Angelo fussed over calling the swap off and Charlie and Joey fretted over not wanting the situation to end. She felt sick over the lovely time the girls had together. Joey had never looked at her the way she was looking at Charlie. She'd never witnessed that kind of adoration, not even during the best of times together. Bitterly, she thought it entirely unfair and wondered what was so special about Charlie that both Joey and Angelo were desperately in love with her. She chewed her lip as she watched Angelo get stressed out with a punch bag and then reluctantly agreed to continue with the swap. She then saw herself kissing him. Switching to her former home, her heart sank as she saw Charlie and Joey give in and kiss and admit just how much they liked each other.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Next time... back to the swap, Mel and Angelo sleep together, Ruby becomes suspicious and Charlie and Joey are feeling shy...<em>


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

_Nine Weeks Ago..._

On Sunday morning, Charlie woke up surprisingly full of energy. She'd had a somewhat erotic dream about Joey and it had been more than wonderful. Naughtily, she couldn't help but wonder if she could make it come true one day. Her head was in a muddle but she was clear about one thing – her life with Angelo was over and Joey was the person she wanted to be with. All she could hope now was that Joey would feel the same.

Everything would be more than a little awkward, especially as this apparent affair would be exposed on national television. It was something she felt bad about. She loved Angelo, even if she wasn't _in_ love with him anymore, and she certainly didn't want to hurt him. Charlie knew only too well the pain of being betrayed. Angelo's affair had hurt her terribly. She didn't want to do the same. She didn't want to be unkind and disrespectful. But she did want to be with Joey. She was very torn between two courses of action.

Clambering out of bed, Charlie headed to bathroom to get showered. It was rule change day and she fully intended on making it a special week for Joey. Romance aside, Charlie was adamant that Joey shouldn't be treated like a slave. She wanted to take care of her, treat her, make her feel wanted and appreciated. She wanted to make her feel like the Princess she was.

* * *

><p>Joey took a rare lie in. She'd woken up early as usual but remained in bed. The cats came up to fuss over her, begging for food but contenting themselves with cuddles when she refused to move.<p>

In all her years with Mel, she had never strayed. Mel had slept with more people during their relationship than Joey had slept with in her entire life. Joey had always remained faithful. She'd barely even looked at other women. Until Charlie. Charlie had spun her whole world around and now she didn't know what to do. She felt guilty for kissing her. Multiple times. But she couldn't quite bring herself to regret it. She'd dreamt about her and woken with a realisation that she was falling in love.

She felt the familiar butterflies in her tummy. But it also felt different this time. She wasn't afraid. She had no concern about letting Charlie get close to her, bar the guilt over cheating on her girlfriend. She was very aware that she'd shared things with Charlie that she hadn't with other girlfriends.

The closest she'd come to being emotionally involved with someone was Aden. And that was different. He was a boy and her best friend. He couldn't hurt her in the same way as a relationship could. And she knew he wouldn't. And she didn't think Charlie would either. Her certainty made her nervous. But she knew whatever was going on with Charlie felt right. It wasn't something she could run away from.

* * *

><p>Angelo woke with a start, immediately aware that Mel was sleeping soundly beside him. He sighed heavily and crept out of bed and into the shower, attempting to wash his guilt off him. All he could hope now was that Ruby wouldn't catch them out. That would almost be as bad as Charlie finding out. Sighing heavily, he scrubbed his body, far too aware that Charlie indeed would find out. It was all on camera. There was no way that the production company would edit his misdeeds out. He would be caught and then he would lose the woman he loved once and for all.<p>

* * *

><p>Mel forced herself up and out of bed. She gathered her clothes together, poked her head around Angelo and Charlie's bedroom door, saw that she had the all clear and ran off to her own room in order to throw her robe on.<p>

While she knew Angelo would be feeling guilty about sleeping with her behind Charlie's back, Mel felt good. She'd enjoyed herself immensely and while the situation was likely to leave Charlie and Angelo's relationship in tatters, she was certain that she would glide happily back into Joey's arms.

Even if Charlie was treating her better than Mel did, she thought it highly unlikely that the experience would have changed Joey that much. She was devoted and that was exactly the way Mel liked it. She smiled to herself, pulled the robe tighter around her and settled down on the floor in order to finish her rule changes.

* * *

><p>"Morning," Joey said a little awkwardly when she came downstairs and saw Charlie making coffee in the kitchen.<p>

Ruby and Indie danced around her feet, meowing as if they had been starved for a thousand years. Nearly tripping over them, Joey headed over to the cupboard in order to prepare their breakfast.

"Morning," Charlie replied.

Their eyes lingered on each other for several long moments. They both jumped when the film crew knocked on the door, ready to start the day. Sunday was always important on the show. It was the turn of the week, the change of the rules and this swap was by far the most interesting show they had done. Charlie volunteered to let them in and Joey continued her mission to feed the cats. Her head was full of Charlie.

* * *

><p>Ruby could sense the friction between Mel and Angelo at breakfast. She wasn't sure if it was lust or hate. They'd either argued or done something terrible. Ruby just hoped it was the former. If Angelo dared hurt her mother again, Ruby would kill him. Her Mum had been through too much in her life and Angelo had already betrayed her once. If he thought he could do it again and get away with it, he had another thing coming.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Sam objects to Charlie's rule changes and Ruby blurts out a secret...<em>


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two**

_Still Nine Weeks Ago..._

Charlie sat in the lounge with Joey, Sam and the cats, gripping her board of rule changes tightly. She had them turned away from the expectant household, although Ruby had already crept up and started nuzzling the edge of it. Crouching down, Charlie petted her and smiled when she purred. She glanced up and caught Joey smiling at her. She blushed and tried to pretend not to notice anything. But these days, she noticed everything Joey said and did.

* * *

><p>Mel waited on the sofa with her board of rule changes while Angelo and Ruby got themselves settled in front of her, both wondering and largely dreading what changes she was likely to come up with. She smiled cheerfully at them. Ruby looked mostly sceptical whereas constant guilt seemed to be etched onto Angelo's face. All he could hope was that Ruby and then Charlie didn't find out what he had been up to until he was ready to be honest.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlie flipped the board round, smiling triumphantly.<p>

"Okay, rule number one," she said. "It's quite obvious that Joey does more than her fair share around this place. She's spent far too long cleaning up after you and Mel and it's not fair. She gets treated like a slave and this week, that's all going to change."

Joey sat back on the sofa, a smile twitching the corners of her mouth. Sam looked outraged.

"Joey doesn't not get treated like a slave!" she protested.

"Yeah, she does," Charlie argued. "You get cooked for, cleaned for... It just isn't right. You're an adult and you should start behaving like one."

"Fuck off!" Sam snapped.

"Hey!" Joey interjected. "Don't talk to Charlie that way!"

"Just because she thinks the sun shines out of your arse," Sam said sourly. "I'd rather go and live in a hotel for the week than put up with this shit!"

"You haven't even heard the rules properly yet," Charlie insisted. "Just chill and let me speak, would you?"

Sam glared at her. Joey looked increasingly amused.

"So, as I said," Charlie continued. "Joey does too much around the house so for the next..."

"I'm not waiting on her all week," Sam interrupted.

"So, for the next three days, she's not allowed to lift a finger," Charlie said, ignoring her. "We have to do all the lovely things she does for us and for Mel on a daily basis. That means cooking for her, cleaning up after her, sending her off happily to work, running her a nice, hot bubble bath whenever she wants one."

Sam looked horrified. Joey grinned. Charlie smiled at her.

"Your every wish is our command," she said sincerely.

* * *

><p>"Okay," Mel said, cutting to the chase. "We all know I am absolutely shit at cooking. So, new rule – for your health and my sanity – I don't cook. It's up to both of you to provide meals. That way, I don't have to do it and when Charlie gets back here, she might get a night off now and again."<p>

She smiled triumphantly. Ruby didn't look terribly impressed but nobody could disagree with Mel staying safely out of the kitchen. Ruby wasn't exactly a hot shot cook herself but even she handled the kitchen better than Mel did.

"Fine," Angelo said. "Next?"

* * *

><p>"What happens after three days?" Sam asked.<p>

"Well, after that, Joey can start doing a few bits again," Charlie said. "_If_ she wants to."

The girls smiled at each other. Charlie already knew Joey sufficiently well that she knew Joey wouldn't be able to give up the habit of a lifetime. And the last thing she wanted was for her rules to disempower her.

"But the way my house is run is far more equal than this place," Charlie continued. "I do jobs, my boyfriend does jobs and my daughter does jobs. We share it out and for this week, after Joey's had a few days of luxury, of course."

Sam's mood worsened. Joey continued to look pleased. Indie was curled up on her lap, purring as she stroked him. Ruby rubbed herself around Charlie's legs one more time before hopping up on Joey to curl up with her brother again.

* * *

><p>"Next," Mel began, flashing a smile at Ruby. "Next... Ruby needs more independence."<p>

"I'm independent!" Ruby snapped grumpily.

"You're very grown up and you're very lovely," Mel said. "But you're too attached to your Mum."

Ruby just glared.

"You care too much about what she thinks. You do what she says and don't do what she tells you not to..."

Angelo held a hand up.

"Wait," he said. "Are you seriously criticising Ruby for being well behaved?"

He looked incredulous but Mel was entirely unfazed.

"Yes!" she said. "When I was a teenager, I was drinking, smoking, staying out till all hours, giving lip to my folks and getting into all sorts of trouble. Ruby should be out there living her life, not doing what Mummy tells her."

"If you're going to make me stay out all night or something," Ruby said sourly. "Then you've got another thing coming. I respect my mother and I respect her rules."

"Well," Mel said brightly. "This week, your Mum's not here. And your only rule is that you make the rules up as you go along. If you want to go to a party, go. If you want your boyfriend round, you can."

"Xavier's here all the time," Ruby pointed out.

"I mean he can stay the night," Mel explained.

Ruby's eyes widened.

"Mum would have a fit if I had Xavier stay over!" she said.

"Like I said," Mel grinned wickedly. "Your Mum's not here."

Ruby shook her head.

"No," she said. "I am not disrespecting my mother's rules, no matter what you've got to say about it."

"Look, Ruby, she had you when she was what, twelve?"

"Fourteen," Ruby said tightly.

"Whatever. She was clearly no saint so I don't think she's in a position to criticise you, at sixteen, for having sex with your boyfriend."

Ruby leapt to her feet, surprising herself and everyone else with her anger.

"Don't talk about my mother that way," she warned.

Mel put her hands on her hips, more than ready to square up to the teenager if required.

"I'm just pointing out the obvious," she said.

"Mum didn't do anything wrong."

"She got pregnant at fourteen!"

"She was raped!" Ruby yelled.

Immediately she froze. It was a secret. It was a secret she'd now just blurted out on national television. She glanced at the cameras and then at Angelo who looked as horrified as she felt. She turned to glare back at Mel.

"Are you happy?" she snapped, storming off to her bedroom again.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Angelo comforts Ruby while Sam falls out with Charlie and Joey...<em>


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three**

_Still Nine Weeks Ago..._

The cameras were still rolling but stayed discreetly outside Ruby's room as Angelo tentatively approached the sobbing teenager.

"Ruby?" he said anxiously.

She was stretched out on her bed with her face buried into her pillow. Angelo awkwardly perched on the edge of the bed and touched her shoulder. She reluctantly turned and looked at him with puffy eyes.

"Mum's never going to forgive me," she sobbed.

"She will," Angelo said.

He knew more than anyone that nothing Ruby could do would ever ruin the relationship with her mother. Charlie's world revolved around her and it always had. Ruby sat up and looked at him directly.

"I just announced on national television that she was raped," she said desperately. "How is she ever going to forgive that?"

Angelo nodded and admitted that he was still trying to get his head around the whole thing. He'd had no idea that anything like that had happened to the woman he loved.

"Only me, Mum, Granddad and Morag have ever known," she said. "And the boy who did it."

"Why... why wouldn't she tell me something like that?" he wondered. "Isn't it something I should know?"

"Why?" Ruby asked.

"Because we're in love," he said. "We're in a relationship."

"It's not exactly something that's easy to talk about," Ruby pointed out.

"I know but..."

He trailed off and looked at the floor.

"She's never told anyone she's dated," Ruby said. "When people ask, she just says it was a boy at school. She doesn't want everyone to know what happened. But now... now I guess everyone will."

She burst into tears again.

"She's going to hate me."

"She won't," Angelo said certainly. "Charlie loves you more than anyone in the world. She'd die for you Ruby. Yes, she might be upset that you blabbed when obviously she never had any intention of anyone finding out... not even me... but... she'll forgive you, Ruby. She'd forgive you anything."

Feeling somewhat comforted but overwhelmed by her need to be held by her mother and assured that everything would be fine, Ruby took several deep breaths and tried to pull herself together.

* * *

><p>Back at Joey's house, Charlie was pressing on with her rule changes. As she'd already discussed with Joey, one rule was the Joey needed to do more things that she enjoyed. She then suggested that she go on one of Joey's boat tours so that the businesswoman could share something she loved with her family, even if one member was just temporary.<p>

"Would you like to join us?" Charlie asked.

"I'd rather go to the dentist," Sam replied sharply. "And pardon me for saying, Charlie, but your rules seem pretty Joey obsessed."

"Well, this house treats her pretty badly," Charlie said unfazed. "I have a strong desire to try and give her some happiness."

"Joey is happy!" Sam snapped. "If she wasn't then she would fucking be here, would she?"

She turned to her housemate for confirmation but Joey remained silent, feeling anxious and focussing on the cats.

"If you think Joey's happy being treated like a slave then you must be blind," Charlie argued. "Not to mention stupid."

The cameras rolled as the girls began to argue. Joey finally intervened, although she struggled for several moments to be heard. They both turned to her.

"I'm not happy," Joey said honestly. "And it means the world that Charlie's seen it and that she cares enough to try and do something nice for me. Sam, this is my house. You barely even pay rent so if you don't like it and you're going to continue to be rude to Charlie, you know where the door is."  
>Sam looked shocked and offended. She got to her feet and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Charlie and Joey attempted not to look pleased.<p>

* * *

><p>After some more tears, Ruby had finally ventured back downstairs with Angelo to hear the rest of Mel's rules. The 'wife' surprised her with an apology that mostly appeared sincere.<p>

"I shouldn't have presumed to know about your Mum," she said. "Rape didn't even cross my mine. I just thought..."

"Well, you were wrong," Ruby snapped. "So let's stop talking about it."

Mel nodded.

"Okay, I don't know if you'll be happy to do this one now but I feel like I haven't got to know you properly, Ruby and I thought it might be nice if, one day this week, we could spend some time hanging out," Mel ventured. "We could have a girlie day... you know, shopping, maybe a couple of makeovers, chatting..."

Ruby shrugged. She wasn't terribly enthused about the idea but she didn't want to be too rude to her. Inside, she was just counting the days until her Mum would come home. If she had learnt anything from this week, it was that she was very lucky to have the mother she did and she did not want to be separated from her again. All she could hope was that she was having a nice time with Mel's girlfriend.

* * *

><p>Sitting side by side on the sofa together, Charlie and Joey were feeling much more comfortable.<p>

"What was your next rule?" Joey asked, gazing into Charlie's eyes.

"It was the Sam has to cook at least one meal for the whole family but..."

She trailed off and looked at the door. Turning back to each other, they held hands.

"Do you think she's gone for good?" Charlie asked.

"I hope so," Joey said without thinking it through or trying to be polite.

They both laughed softly. Joey bowed her head, studying their hands. She looked back up when Charlie stroked her hair. With her heart pounding, Joey willed herself not to give in and do what she so desperately wanted to do. Charlie's lips were calling her, tempting her, stimulating her desire. But the cameras were on and anything they did now could be broadcast to the whole country, including to both their partners. Whatever Mel's flaws, she didn't want to hurt her any more than she already had. Clearing her throat, she backed away, although she still held Charlie's intense gaze.

"Um... next rule?"

"It was a group therapy session," Charlie said. "But we're not so much a group now as a pair."

The word 'couple' rang through both their heads.

"Well, uh... that's the rules done so... um, well, it's lunch time so how about I start my slave labour?" she added.

Grinning, Charlie stood up, heading into the kitchen to make herself and Joey some food.

* * *

><p>"And my last two rules are about you, Angelo," Mel said.<p>

The policeman tensed momentarily, suddenly terrified that she would spill the beans about what they had been up to behind Charlie and Joey's backs.

"You're too serious and you always seem like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders," Mel said.

He looked set to object but she pointed out that even now he couldn't crack a smile.

"I just found out my partner was raped as a teenager," he said coldly.

Ruby curled up into more of a ball, feeling terribly ashamed of herself for spilling the secret she and Charlie had held onto for so long. She'd been told the truth when she was ten. Charlie had struggled to thwart her questions and eventually, she'd told her what happened. Ruby had been upset at first and worried that it changed their relationship but mid-sentence, gazing into her mother's eyes, she'd realised just how much Charlie loved her. She'd tried to forget where she came from and focus on the good things about her life and slowly, it had become less of an issue. Until now. With some woman standing there and accusing her Mum of all sorts, Ruby had felt a very strong need to protect her.

"Anyway," Mel said, breezing past it. "You need to focus on being a more positive person. And on top of that, you need to treat Charlie a little better. So this week, you're going to practice doing nice things for your girlfriend. And you're going to practice on me!"

Angelo cringed, hoping that Ruby hadn't noticed the wicked grin on Mel's face.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Angelo can't fight his lust for Mel and Charlie and Joey have a decision to make...<em>


	24. Chapter 24

_I'm back! I hope you missed me! Hehe. Here is your first update of the day. I hope you enjoy it. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Twenty Four**

_Still Nine Weeks Ago..._

Ruby escaped and went to see Xavier. Her head was a mess and if her mother wasn't around, then her boyfriend was the next closest person to her. She resented that the cameras were following her. She wanted to tell Xavier the truth about her conception. She wanted to confide in him. But that would be more than a little difficult while she was being filmed, although she supposed the cat was already out of the bag anyway.

"Hi, Ruby," Hugo greeted when he opened the door to her.

He had a bag on his back and looked like he was just about to leave home. His girlfriend, Martha stood behind him and explained that they were going diving.

"Have fun," Ruby said. "Is Xavier around?"

"He's still in bed," Martha said. "You can go on through."

Ruby nodded and headed into the house while Martha and Hugo, very aware of the cameras, left the house together. Ruby wound her way through the lounge and into Xavier's bedroom, knocking and poking her head around the door to tell him to make himself decent because he was going to be on TV.

"I'm decent," Xavier grinned.

Ruby entered the room and found her boyfriend topless, sleepy and sitting up in bed.

"You're here early," he said. "Not that I mind."

Catching the clock on his bedside table, he realised that it wasn't early at all. He'd just overslept. Ruby perched on the edge of the bed and kissed her.

"I had to get out," she admitted. "Mel was driving me crazy."

"Rule change?" Xavier asked.

She nodded and sighed heavily. He welcomed her into his arms and told her to tell him all about it.

* * *

><p>"Stop it!" Charlie giggled as Joey tried repeatedly to help her make lunch.<p>

"But...!" Joey protested.

She stood behind her, trying to reach around and attempt to chop salad but Charlie thwarted her advances. Giggling, she turned around and nudged Joey backwards. They caught each other's gaze, still smiling. Heat surged between them.

"You're going to be a nightmare to wait on," Charlie realised.

Joey placed her hands on Charlie's hips and nodded.

"I'm not used to being treated like I'm special," she admitted.

She looked down bashfully. Charlie stroked her face, tilting it back up towards her.

"You _are _special," she said firmly.

Carefully, she nudged her back into a chair. Joey sat down a little helplessly, her heart beating at the rather intimate way Charlie was kneeling in front of her.

"I want to treat you well this week," she said. "It's what you deserve."

She stood up and grinned broadly, knowing she had been almost as bad at letting Joey fuss over her the previous week.

"Now," she said with a smirk. "Don't make me have to get strict!"

The two women smirked at each other before Charlie returned to her lunch making duty.

* * *

><p>Angelo was washing his car outside the front of the house. Mel stood in the doorway watching him. Smiling to herself, she approached him and asked if she could help. He straightened up and looked sceptical.<p>

"You actually want to do a chore?" he asked.

"Maybe I like the idea of you getting all hot and soapy," she teased.

He shook his head and resumed his work. Mel watched him with interest before picking the bucket up and splashing a little over him.

"What the...?" he exclaimed.

He looked between his wet shirt and her in disbelief.

"Oops," she said. "Looks like you'll have to take it off."

He was about to storm back into the house, dry off and get changed but paused when he saw the obvious lust in her eyes. He could barely remember the last time Charlie had looked at him in that way. Encouraged, she stepped closer and pressed her body against him. He felt her wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in close.

"We can't do this," he said, trying to sound firm.

"Not what you were saying last night," she pointed out.

"Mel... what about Charlie? And Joey? Don't you care about your girlfriend?" he asked.

"We've already done wrong by sleeping together," Mel said. "Their wrath... well, Charlie's anyway... Joey won't mind... but Charlie _will _be pissed..."

"She'll be devastated!" Angelo said.

Mel smirked.

"My, you do think a lot of yourself, don't you?" she remarked.

He fell silent and continued to gaze into her eyes, feeling his body get more excited as she ran her fingertips up and down his spine.

"My point is," she said. "Charlie is going to be hurt regardless. You had sex with me in her bed behind her back on national television. So, the chances are, you're going to lose her. There's nothing you can do about it. So I don't see why you and I can't enjoy this while it lasts. At least have something to regret by the end of the week."

It made no sense but Angelo's yearning overwhelmed him. He leaned in and kissed her.

* * *

><p>Charlie and Joey sat together in the back garden, eating lunch together. They sat side by side, maintaining as much 'innocent' contact as they could.<p>

"What are we going to do, Joey?" Charlie finally asked, breaking the silence between them.

Joey turned to offer her full attention.

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to leave Angelo and run away with you!" Charlie admitted with a half hearted laugh.

It was true. But she didn't want to hurt her boyfriend. She felt like the worst person alive for the way she was treating him. He was a good man, someone she cared a great deal about. Once upon a time, she'd even thought she loved him. But now, away from him, rather than making her realise that he was the one for her, she'd come to understand that he wasn't. Everything she had ever felt for anyone paled in comparison to what she felt about Joey now.

"Why don't you?" Joey said.

Charlie looked startled. Joey assumed Charlie had been joking and apologised.

"No," she said. "I... I wasn't joking. I want to be with you, Joey. Do you... do you... um... do you think you could ever feel the same?"

Joey reached out and held Charlie's hand, feeling like they were the only two people in the world.

"I do," she said. "I don't want to hurt Mel but..."

"I don't want to hurt Angelo either," said Charlie. "But I just can't seem to control how I feel about you."

They squeezed each other's hands and slowly leant in to share a kiss.

"Do you think we should call the swap to and end?" Joey asked, drawing away. "Is it fair to drag it out?"

Charlie sighed. She shifted her position on the bench so that she was snuggled into Joey's arms. Joey smiled and put her arms around her.

"I guess it's not fair," Charlie sighed. "But... I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Of having to accept and admit that I'm a terrible person."

"You're not!" Joey insisted. "We can't help how we feel."

Charlie nodded and Joey stroked her hair tenderly.

"Will Ruby mind?" Joey asked suddenly.

"She's not that fond of Angelo anyway," Charlie said. "She's put up with him all the while he's made me happy but I don't think she'll be heartbroken if we split. They're not close."

Joey pressed her lips onto the top of Charlie's head, holding them there before speaking again.

"Would she mind you being with a woman?" she asked.

"She knows I'm bi," Charlie replied almost dreamily. "She's cool with it."

"Do you um... do you think she'll like me?" Joey asked, half hopeful and half concerned.

Charlie smiled. She shifted so that she could gaze into Joey's soulful eyes.

"How could anyone not love you?" she asked incredulously, stealing another kiss.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Ruby catches Angelo and Mel out...<em>


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five**

_Still Nine Weeks Ago..._

"Charlie, you really don't need to spoil me like this," Joey protested, although she knew it would do no good.

She hovered behind her 'wife' as she ran her a hot bubble bath.

"You've done this for me every day since I've been here," Charlie pointed out.

"I didn't this morning!" Joey pointed out.

She felt a little guilty for objecting. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy Charlie treating her like a Princess. It just wasn't something she was used to and it was taking a lot to get her head around being with someone who was so nice. And the situation wasn't exactly conventional. They had fallen in love with each other on reality television while both of them had partners. None of this made sense. But for the first time, Joey had decided to be selfish and go for what she wanted. And what she wanted was Charlie. She couldn't quite help admiring Charlie's backside as she bent over to test the water and then switch the taps off. The police officer turned around, coming into very close contact with Joey. They grinned at each other, checking each other out.

"Enjoy," Charlie said. "I'll um... resist offering to scrub your back."

Their looks lingered for several moments longer, smiles teasing their lips as both their minds hit the gutter.

"Dinner will be in an hour and a half," Charlie said, escaping the room and leaving Joey to it.

* * *

><p>Ruby was curious when she found Angelo's car only half washed and the bucket and sponge still by its side. She looked directly down the camera lens and supposed aloud that Mel had probably demanded dinner or some such thing. Heading on into the house, the cameramen surrounding her glanced at each other, wondering if they ought to interfere. That was the ethical thing to do but they and the producer that had instructed them to stay quiet, were all very aware that brilliant drama was about to unfold.<p>

* * *

><p>In the kitchen, Charlie was happily cooking up a storm while being grilled by the camera crew.<p>

"What do you think is happening between yourself and Joey?" the designated cameraman asked.

Charlie blushed and felt immediately uncomfortable.

"Um... I don't know."

"But you have feelings for her?" the man pushed.

Charlie sighed and nodded.

"I can't help it," she said. "Joey's amazing. I feel absolutely evil for doing this, especially on television. I love Angelo but... there's just something between Joey and I that I can't ignore. Things... well, they haven't been right between me and Angelo for a while and..."

She sighed again, more heavily this time.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted.

* * *

><p>"Angelo?" Ruby called as she headed upstairs.<p>

She was puzzled by his lack of answer but supposed he and Mel had gone out. She headed into her room and lay on her bed looking up at the ceiling. The cameras zoned in on her. She blinked a few times and was surprised to find tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" the cameraman asked.

Ruby sat up against her pillows.

"I really miss my Mum," she said, deciding to be honest. "I know this wife swap thingy was something she really wanted to do and I hope it's helped her with her problems with Angelo and everything but... I've never been away from her this long. She isn't just my Mum. She's my best friend. And I miss her."

Sighing heavily, Ruby scrambled off the bed and wandered along the hallway. The cameraman and the sound technician exchanged worried glances as Ruby pushed open her mother's bedroom door. Then she gasped.

* * *

><p>In the bath, with the bubbles arranged very carefully around her, Joey agreed to an interview. She was sipping the glass of wine Charlie had provided her with and was having an extremely nice time.<p>

"It feels pretty good to be pampered," she admitted with a grin. "Joey's treating me far better than I deserve."

"How does that make you feel?" the female camera operator asked.

Joey thought about it for a few moments.

"Special," she finally said.

"And how does Charlie make you feel generally?" the camerawoman asked. "It's quite obvious that there are feelings between you."

"I... I... um... well, I've never felt like this before," Joey admitted a little shyly. "Charlie... well, I feel like she's given me my self esteem back. I didn't realise until now that I was lacking or that I was unhappy really but... Charlie's shown me how good life can be. And I don't want to hurt anyone. I feel very guilty to be falling in love with someone else behind Mel's back but blatantly in front of her... if that makes any sense..."

She shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts together.

"I just... I can't help it. I'm in love with Charlie and if she'll have me, I want to be with her."

* * *

><p>Angelo leapt off the bed, wrapping a sheet around him. He chased a screaming Ruby down the stairs, calling her name and begging her to wait. Unfazed, Mel sat back in bed and wondered what the problem was.<p>

* * *

><p>Joey kicked the camera crew out of the bathroom so she could finish in piece and get out. Wrapped in a big fluffy towel, she headed into her room. Ruby and Indigo scampered after her to 'assist' her in getting changed, which usually meant tripping her over by weaving between her legs. Wrapped in her towel, she released her hair and began to dry it before perusing her wardrobe to try and pick a nice outfit that might impress Charlie.<p>

* * *

><p>"Ruby, wait!" Angelo begged, still clutching the towel around his waist.<p>

The teenager had reached the lounge. She spun around furiously, her face red with rage.

"Wait for what?" she screamed. "Because if you think you can explain that any other way than you being an absolute shit, you've got another thing coming! I think you took this whole wife swap thing a bit fucking far!"

"I didn't mean to..." Angelo protested.

Ruby's eyed widened even further.

"How the hell do you do _that _by accident!" she shrieked.

"Look, you know things haven't been going well with your Mum..." Angelo ventured. "And I'm hurting over the fact that she lied to me about..."

"You fucked another girl... _again... _because my poor Mum was raped sixteen years ago?"

Ruby's pitch got higher and higher. Angelo looked increasingly helpless.

"That's not what I mean," he said lamely.

"I hate you. You never deserved my Mum in the first place. She's worth a million of you and more. If anything good is going to come out of this whole thing, it's that she'll finally get rid of you!"

Ruby turned to the camera.

"I want to stop this swap right now!"

* * *

><p>Joey arrived downstairs to the delightful aroma of a home cooked meal, just as the doorbell rang. She was about to open the front door when Charlie got there first and let Aden in.<p>

"Hey!" Joey greeted happily as he waved flowers and a bottle of wine. "What are you doing here?"

"Charlie invited me round for dinner," he said cheerfully.

He and Joey smiled at each other. Mel would never have even thought of doing such a thing and both of them knew it.

"I'm nearly finished," Charlie said. "Make yourselves comfortable."

"Can we help?" Joey offered.

"Nope," Charlie said. "Just go and sit down. I set the dining table. I hope that's okay."

Joey turned and peered behind the sofa where the dining area was. She grinned. The table was laid beautifully.

"You're amazing," she said affectionately.

Charlie beamed at her and headed into the kitchen. Joey and Aden made their way over to the dining table. Aden put his arm around his friend.

"I think you've finally found a keeper," he said honestly.

* * *

><p>Ruby headed to the beach to try and clear her head. She felt like her mind was now scarred with images of Angelo quite obviously penetrating Mel. Tears streaked her face as she worried about her Mum. She didn't want her to be hurt. Nicholas tentatively approached. The cameras were still trained on Ruby but they kept a safe distance away, not wanting to pry too obscenely.<p>

"Ruby, are you okay?" Nicholas asked.

"No, I'm not okay," Ruby snapped. "Angelo's cheating on my Mum. How could I ever be okay after seeing that?"

"I'm sorry," Nicholas said weakly.

"Did you know?" she asked. "Did your stupid crew know? Did you let me find them like that?"

The producer's silence told her everything she needed to know.

"I hate all of you," Ruby said. "And I want my Mum. Tell my Mum that she has to come home."

Nicholas looked reluctant.

"Look, it's getting kind of late in the day," he said, pointing out the setting sun. "Why don't you sleep on it tonight and if you still want to cancel everything tomorrow, you can and we'll get your Mum back then. Does that sound okay?"

"I want my Mum now!" Ruby yelled.

"If we call her now, she won't be back with you until stupid o'clock in the morning," the producer pointed out. "And if we tell her not to leave _until _the morning, it's just going to worry her."

Ruby sighed and reluctantly agreed.

"Do you want to go home or do you want to stay with someone?"

"I want to go home," Ruby said. "And I want Angelo and Mel to be gone when I get there."

"Uh..."

"It's not Angelo's house," Ruby added. "It's Mum's. Which means it's more mine than his so he can get out."

"We'll talk to him," Nicholas promised.

"And get that bitch out of there too," Ruby said. "She has no right at all to even touch anything of Mum's, let alone have sex with her boyfriend in her bed."

* * *

><p><em>Next time... Ruby goes to stay with Irene while Charlie and Joey make plans for the future...<em>


	26. Chapter 26

_I won't be updating tomorrow as I will be at the hospital but I will be back on Friday – and hopefully in a happier place! Lol. Thanks for reading and I hope you're continuing to enjoy the story. There are ten chapters to go after this one. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Twenty Six**

_Still Nine Weeks Ago..._

After some negotiation, Ruby had convinced her best friend, Annie's foster mother, Irene, to let the teenager spend the night. Angelo had gone to stay in a hotel and so had Mel. Angelo had tried to make sure that Ruby knew he and Mel were staying in different hotels but Ruby had firmly told him that she didn't care. However, she'd said it slightly less politely than that. With the adults gone and only the camera crew for supervision, the teenagers had ordered a pizza, complete with dessert and fizzy drinks and DVD's in order to cheer Ruby up. Charlie's daughter had tearfully told Annie everything – from her conception revelations, to catching Angelo and Mel in the act and essentially throwing them out.

"I just can't believe he'd do that," Annie said, in shock. "I thought he loved your Mum. Poor Charlie."

"Yeah," Ruby sighed. "I'm hoping that she'll realise that he was always a jerk and never deserved her but I'm really worried that she's going to be crushed."

* * *

><p>Charlie, Joey and Aden had had a nice evening together. Aden left much later that night and Charlie and Joey saw him out.<p>

"I'm going to go to bed," Charlie said.

"Me too," said Joey.

The camera crew headed out. As soon as the door was closed, Charlie and Joey fell into each other's arms. They kissed tenderly, wrapping their arms around each other, feeling torn between guilt and desire. They had made a deal that nothing would happen between them until the swap had ended and they had finished with both their partners. However, their lips kept finding each other and it was becoming increasingly hard to resist.

"One more day," Joey said softly. "We can have a good day out on the boat together tomorrow before..."

She sighed. The plan was to leave Mel, sell the house and pack up and move to Summer Bay in order to share her life with Charlie and her daughter. The prospect was a scary one but she was also very excited.

"Are you sure you're happy with what we've decided?" Charlie asked worriedly, reaching out to stroke her face.

"Yeah," Joey said. "It's just... big."

They headed over to the couch and curled up together, glad of some privacy.

"I'd come here," Charlie said. "It's just... Ruby. She's got her friends and her boyfriend there and I don't..."

Joey silenced her with a kiss and told her firmly that she understood.

"You have to put your daughter first," she said.

Charlie smiled gratefully and kissed both of Joey's hands.

"And anyway, I'm not a stranger to upping and moving," Joey said brightly. "I ran away from home when I was sixteen. I just left. And that was scarier because I didn't know what I was going to. This time, at least I know I am going to something amazing. I'm going to share my life with you."

Charlie beamed at her, leaning in for another kiss.

"Do you think I should call Aden and warn him about the plan?" Joey asked. "Now that the cameras aren't prying. I mean, he's going to be part of it. Hopefully."

Charlie nodded and released Joey's hands as her new partner looked around for her phone.

* * *

><p>Annie had helped Ruby change the sheets in her mother's room. She didn't want her to come home to soiled sheets from where Angelo had been sleeping with Mel behind her back.<p>

"Have they called her already?" Annie asked as they stuffed the sheets in the washing machine.

"No, they're going to do it in the morning," Ruby said. "I agreed that I didn't want to worry her overnight when she couldn't do anything about it."

Annie nodded and hugged her friend, feeling terribly sorry for her.

* * *

><p>Charlie and Joey kissed each other goodnight and headed into their individual bedrooms. Joey had spoken to Aden on the phone and explained that she wanted to move to Summer Bay with Charlie and hopefully take the business with her. Aden had shyly asked if he could come too. He and Joey had been the best of friends for such a long time and he wanted to be wherever she was. Joey had readily agreed and the idea was that after their morning out on the boat, where Joey was excited to be showing Charlie what she did for a living, they would all pack up and call an end to the swap. They knew they would have to inevitably meet up with their partners but they had vowed to do it together and explain. Both women felt terribly guilty that they were betraying the people they'd spent several years in love with but they didn't know what else to do. Joey was prepared to be packed up and ready to go, cats and all, when the cars were ready to collect them. In her bedroom, Joey smiled to herself as she got into her pyjamas. Tonight was her last night in this house. She was hoping to sell the place pretty quickly and walk away from the life she had known for so long. Charlie had opened her eyes to how it was possible for a woman to treat her. She made Joey so happy, overwhelmingly so and she was excited about their future together. Without pausing to think it through, she headed off along the corridor and knocked on Charlie's door.<p>

"Come in," Charlie called.

Joey could hear the smile in her voice. Pushing open the door, Joey grinned at the beautiful woman tucked up in the narrow bed.

"Can I have a cuddle?" Joey asked cheekily.

Charlie nodded eagerly and Joey curled up with her under the blankets. The cats bounded on top of them, more than happy to settle for the night.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... the swap is called to a halt...<em>


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

_Still Nine Weeks Ago..._

Charlie and Joey were just about ready to head out. Sam hadn't come back all night and the girls had particularly enjoyed having the place to themselves, including sleeping in each other's arms. It had been the most peaceful night's sleep Charlie had had in a long time and she hoped it was the first night of many. Nothing physical had happened between them, nothing more than kissing anyway. It hadn't felt right when technically they both had partners. She didn't want to hurt Angelo any more than she already had but she knew for sure that she needed to end things. Joey was the person she wanted to be with. There was a knock on the front door just as she was finishing the dishes. Drying her hands on a tea towel, she headed over to answer it. She was surprised when Sophie the producer stood there instead of just the film crew. And she looked very serious.

"What's wrong?" Charlie asked worriedly.

She let Sophie and the crew in. Joey was seated on the sofa, tying her laces. She too eyed Sophie with curiosity and sat up straighter.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Sophie came to sit in the armchair. Charlie remained standing, looking anxious.

"Sophie, what's happened? Is it Ruby? Is she okay? Is Ruby okay?"

"She's fine," Sophie said. "But she wants to end the swap."

Charlie sank into a chair, never taking her eyes off the producer.

"What's happened?" she asked.

"I think you just need to go home and talk to her," Sophie said.

"What happened?" Charlie demanded. "What's wrong with my daughter?"

Her heart raced in her chest as panic began to overtake her.

"There's a car waiting," Sophie said. "She's upset. But she's fine. She's not in danger or ill or anything like that. She's just upset and wants to see you."

Charlie nodded. Without another word, she bounded up the stairs to begin packing. Disappointed, Joey remained meekly on the sofa, wondering where she and Charlie now stood. She looked up when there was another knock at the door. Opening up, she smiled weakly at Aden.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Charlie's leaving," she said.

"What? I thought that was tomorrow."

He glanced a little anxiously at the crew but kept talking anyway.

"I thought that was the plan," he said. "Me and you and Charlie and her... her kid. I thought we were going to..."

He trailed off as Joey burst into tears and fell against him.

"Joey?" he said. "What's going on?"

Leading him to the couch, she explained the situation, painfully aware that the cameras were recording her every move.

"Well, what the hell are you doing down here?" Aden asked.

Joey looked confused.

"Joey, get your arse upstairs and figure out where you stand with her," he ordered. "You love her, don't you?"

Joey nodded. Aden grinned.

"Look, I have known you for so long," he said. "And I've never seen you fall for someone like this, let alone someone who deserves you. So, go up and talk to her. Figure out what she's thinking, what she wants."

Joey nodded, took a deep breath and headed up the stairs. The cameras followed.

* * *

><p>Charlie was in the spare room, hurriedly throwing things into her suitcase. She felt sick with worry and with guilt over having such a nice time when her daughter had been suffering. For sixteen years, they had stuck together like glue and now she felt like she had abandoned her. It had all been to save her relationship with Angelo and yet all it had proved was that she didn't want to be with him. She glanced at the unmade bed that she and Joey had shared the night before. Another wave of guilt hit her. She turned round to head back downstairs to talk to the woman she'd just abandoned but paused when she found Joey hovering uncertainly in the doorway.<p>

* * *

><p>Angelo sat in the Surf Club with Nicholas. He was almost grateful that Alf didn't serve alcohol until five o'clock because he knew he'd be well on his way to getting drunk now if he could. He was still half tempted to go and buy a six pack. Nicholas had told him that the swap was over and Charlie was coming home. She knew something was up with Ruby but not what and they were hoping to convince Charlie to do the table discussion with him, Mel and Joey beforehand but it wasn't looking likely. That meant that Angelo didn't have a chance to tell the truth about Mel before Ruby talked to her. It made him feel sick and he was painfully aware that he was going to lose her forever now.<p>

"She's never going to forgive me for this, is she?" he wondered aloud.

* * *

><p>"Hey," Charlie said, offering a smile.<p>

Joey inched further into the room and perched on the mattress of the put-you-up bed that had been Charlie's for just over a week.

"Hey," she replied quietly, twisting her hands together.

"I was just coming to..."

"Break up with me?" Joey worried.

The cameras were trained on them but both women were past the point of caring. Charlie looked bewildered.

"What? No! Don't be silly!" she said.

Joey looked marginally relieved. Charlie shuffled forwards in her kneeling position and held Joey's hands.

"I'm sorry I bolted up here," she said. "I just... if something's made Ruby this unhappy then I have to..."

"I know."

"But that doesn't mean I don't want us to be together, Joey," Charlie continued. "I do. I really, really do. And I know it's all a bit of a rush but if you wanted to pack too, we could go to together. Today."

Joey's eyes lit up but then she sighed again.

"If Ruby's upset, isn't she going to want you all to yourself?" she asked. "She's not going to want to..."

"Meet the person that's made me happier than I've ever been?" Charlie grinned. "Of course she'll want to meet you. And I want you to meet her."

She squeezed Joey's hands.

"We could both pack up now and go," she said.

"Don't you need to break up with Angelo first?" Joey asked.

"I do," Charlie said. "But you could still come. There's a caravan park you could stay in. And Aden could drive down with the cats if he still wanted to come... you know, when things are more settled. I know it's not going to be easy but we could start our life together."

She smiled, hoping that Joey still wanted to go with her. Joey smiled.

"I'll come," she said. "I know there are a hundred things we have to do but I'd like to come with you today. I'd like to support you. And Aden is still up for moving too. He'd follow with the cats and his stuff in a few days. He'll look after them in the meantime, I'm sure. And then I can come back to sell the house and bring the boat round."

Relieved, they kissed gently.

"That sounds like a perfect plan to me," Charlie said happily.

* * *

><p><em>Next time... everyone continues to watch the TV show...<em>


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

_Present Day_

Charlie, Joey, Ruby, Xavier, Aden, Ross and Morag sat in the living room together, awaiting the third part of the programme. All of them were nervous about the way things might have been edited. Would they go with the lesbian scandal affair idea? How would Angelo and Mel be portrayed? Charlie clutched Joey's hand tightly in sheer trepidation. Glancing at her daughter, she smiled at her encouragingly. From everything she had been told about the events of that week, her girl had done her proud by standing up for her and defending her honour. Charlie just hoped she hadn't let her daughter down too badly.

"It's the start of rule changed day and both wives are keen to make their mark," the narrator declared.

The family watched as Charlie and Mel simultaneously got up, ready to tackle their families and make decisions. Charlie watched herself sit down with Joey and Sam and begin to share her rules.

"She did _not _like this!" Joey remarked, resting her head on Charlie's shoulder.

Charlie grinned. On cue, they watched Sam launch into a rant about Charlie's attempts at giving Joey a happier life.

"Look at your all swoony!" Ruby teased. "You were so happy!"

"She was running me bubble baths, asking my opinion on things and generally treating me like a Queen. Of course I was happy!" Joey grinned.

Charlie happily watched the interaction. Ruby had been a little stunned when Charlie had first brought Joey home and explained the situation but the two of them got along well and Charlie was very pleased. Ruby and Joey had bonded just as she'd hoped and they were closer to each other than Ruby had been with anyone else Charlie had dated.

"When am I going to be on camera?" Aden complained sulkily.

Joey laughed and patted his leg. He hadn't had nearly as much air time as he had been hoping for.

"Poor baby," she teased. "You'll have to get your own TV show!"

* * *

><p>Angelo watched the programme bitterly. Whether they had been trying to hide it or not, the sparks flying between Charlie and Joey were more than a little obvious. He felt sick as he watched his girlfriend swoon over Joey and promise to wait on her hand and foot. He couldn't help but side with Sam as she flounced out of the room in horror at the idea of being nice to Joey. He glared as if someone could see him as he watched Charlie and Joey skip off into the kitchen in order to make lunch.<p>

* * *

><p>Mel watched the programme with some satisfaction. She knew what was coming next. During her rule announcement, Ruby had kicked off and accidentally revealed that Charlie had been raped. Mel had felt very guilty about it at the time but being that Charlie had charged into her house and stolen her girlfriend, she didn't care what happened to her now or how hard she found the programme. Settling back on the sofa, she watched herself put her foot in it and listened to Ruby explode.<p>

* * *

><p>Ruby kept her eyes shut for the argument that ensued on the television between herself and Mel. She wanted to block up her ears too but listened unhappily until she heard herself slam her bedroom door on screen. Peeping open her eyes, she dared to look at her mother who was looking right back at her with a pained smile.<p>

"It's okay, Rubes," she said gently.

Ross looked in the other direction. It wasn't something he found easy to think or talk about. He was very proud of his daughter for being so strong about it all and for raising Ruby so well. But he would never forgive himself for not seeking the justice Charlie and Ruby had both deserved.

"I'm sorry," Ruby said sadly.

She'd told Charlie the whole truth about what had gone on as soon as she had returned to Summer Bay. She'd reluctantly told her what she had seen Angelo and Mel getting up to and she'd confessed that in anger, she had blurted out their secret. Her Mum had held her for a long time and assured her that she had done nothing wrong. It had forced her to tell Joey the whole truth in advance but she was surprised to admit that she probably would have anyway. She trusted her that much, far more than she had ever trusted anyone before.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Charlie said gently, although there were tears in her eyes.

Having the world know what had happened to her when she was a child was awful but watching the pain etched on her daughter's face, both on the television and beside her on the couch, was worse.

"I'm just going to top up the drinks," she said quickly, getting up.

Everyone exchanged glances as they wondered if she ought to be left to it or if someone should make sure she was okay. Nodding at each other, both Joey and Ruby got up. They found Charlie facing the wall, wiping her eyes and trying to normalise herself. She laughed through her tears as Joey and Ruby both bundled her up into a hug and told her that they loved her.

* * *

><p>Angelo opened another beer. Hearing the story of his ex-girlfriend's assault the second time, and on national television was no easier than it had been the first time. He still felt bitter over the fact that she hadn't trusted him enough to tell him and he wondered if she'd told Joey since. Did that explain why their sex life had struggled so much? Was that why she was bisexual? Perhaps she went with women just because they were non-threatening but really wanted to be with a man. He didn't get to speak to her much now. She ignored him as much as she could at work and if he walked into the Diner or the Surf Club, she generally walked right back out. It was hard living without her and after tonight, everyone in Summer Bay would know exactly what had happened and he'd be shunned even further. Sighing, he downed most of his drink, sinking deeper and deeper into his own misery as the screen flipped to Joey's house and he watched her and Charlie flirt excessively as they made lunch.<p>

* * *

><p>With Charlie and Ruby having reassured each other that everything was definitely okay, they, along with Joey, settled back down to watch the rest of the show together. They were just in time to be embarrassed over their obvious flirtation in the kitchen. But it brought back wonderful memories of how their new romance had first begun.<p>

"You two are sickeningly cute!" Ruby remarked.

"We are not!" Charlie and Joey squeaked in unison.

The rest of their captive audience laughed at them. Sulking, they turned back to the television. Mel was instructing that Angelo lighten up and enjoy his life a bit more. He snapped at her that he had just found out his girlfriend had been raped. She pressed on regardless and told him that he needed to learn to spoil Charlie and he should start by doing nice things for her.

"He sure did that!" Joey said sourly.

"It wouldn't have been that nice," Charlie quipped.

Ruby snorted. On screen, the camera switched to Xavier's house and she watched herself talk to her boyfriend while he was topless in bed. On the sofa, Charlie eyed her daughter suspiciously.

"You'd better not have followed that stupid rule Mel made," she warned.

"As if!" Ruby said. "We didn't even have time..."

Charlie's eyebrows got higher.

"Or the inclination to do anything!" Ruby said quickly. "You heard what I said to her."

She flashed her most innocent smile. Charlie smiled back. She trusted her daughter implicitly and she was extremely proud of the young woman she was becoming.

* * *

><p>Mel grinned as she watched herself convince Angelo to throw caution – and Charlie – to the wind and take her to bed. It really was some of her best work. Her smile only increased as she watched herself flirt and then lead Angelo up to the bedroom. He certainly hadn't been the best she'd ever had but it had been good fun and she'd enjoyed it. She missed Joey. Joey would always be the person she'd liked being with best. But it was quite clear from the programme that even if she had been an angel, she would have lost her to Charlie anyway. So, hurting Charlie in the process, especially so publically, was something Mel was proud, rather than ashamed of.<p>

* * *

><p>"Ruby Buckton you kick arse!" Xavier declared.<p>

Ross and Morag silently scolded him for his language but it was true. Nobody in the room could have been prouder of Ruby than when she stormed away from Angelo and Mel, having caught them in the act. She'd given Angelo what for. And although it broke Charlie's heart to see her daughter so distressed, she was touched by just how much she cared and just how willing she was to defend her mother's honour. For her part, Ruby beamed. Joey gave her a high five and then snuggled into Charlie's side.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," Charlie whispered back. "It's so much easier to watch this knowing that in the end, we won."

They smiled adoringly at each other and shared a gentle kiss. On cue, they saw themselves sitting down to lunch and having a particularly emotional heart to heart over how they were feeling.

* * *

><p>Angelo opened yet another beer, feeling disgusted and disappointed over what he was watching. Charlie had never ever looked at him the way she looked at Joey. He'd seen it at their table meeting and he'd seen it around town. Now, he could see it right in front of him on the TV. It made him sick and lifted his guilt over sleeping with Mel behind Charlie's back. In Charlie's bed.<p>

* * *

><p>Xavier swallowed several times and shifted uncomfortably when he saw Joey being interviewed covered in bubbles in her bath. Aden smirked at him. The fact that Joey was gorgeous was undeniable. Aden fully accepted that she was gay and he would never, ever make a move on her, even if she was single. But he did have a soft spot for his best friend and he thought he probably always would have. He'd wondered time and time again why someone as amazing as she was, had wasted so many years with Mel. She was good looking and all but she was a horrible person and she'd made Joey unhappy for a long time. Aden was glad that she had now found Charlie, a woman who really loved her for who she was, a woman would treat her the way she deserved. He watched Xavier glare back at him and put his arm around Ruby. Telling himself that there was nothing wrong with looking occasionally, Xavier was relieved that the shot switched to Charlie admitting in an interview that she had strong feelings for Joey. <em>Not that Charlie isn't hot too<em>, he thought to himself. The programme continued to the break as Charlie, Joey and Aden enjoyed a meal together while Annie came round to look after Ruby who had declared an abrupt halt to the swap.

* * *

><p><em>Next time… the couples prepare to face the music…<em>


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

_Nine Weeks Ago..._

Charlie and Joey held hands in the back of the car as they headed towards Summer Bay and, more specifically, to Charlie's daughter. They'd arranged for Aden to look after the cats and take them to his house when Mel was due home. Joey did not trust her to look after her beloved animals. After Charlie had made sure Ruby was alright, the plan was to sit down with Angelo and Mel and, unfortunately, the cameras and admit the truth about what had happened during the swap. It was going to be hard but both women knew it was the right thing to do. Then, presumably, Angelo would find a new place to live and Mel would go back to her own neck of the woods. Joey planned on giving them notice so that she could sell the house as quickly as possible and get her boat, her cats and her best friend down to start a new life with Charlie and Ruby in Summer Bay. It all sounded easy on paper but both Charlie and Joey knew it was going to be extremely difficult.

* * *

><p>Annie had gone back home, leaving Ruby to sit and wait for her mother to return. She was anxious and, already knowing that Charlie had refused to stop the swap once before, she hoped that she wouldn't be upset with her for calling it to a halt again so abruptly. But she was also not so secretly pleased that her Mum had ignored Angelo's plea and immediately agreed to Ruby's. She smiled to herself, knowing just how much they loved each other.<p>

* * *

><p>Aden let himself into Joey's house with the spare key Mel had never known he had. Ruby and Indie greeted him at the door but looked with immediate trepidation at the cat carrier he'd brought with him. Crouching down, he gave them some fuss but knew they were obviously wary.<p>

* * *

><p>Angelo sat in his hotel, feeling anxious. The producer had called to say that Charlie was on her way home and Joey was coming with her. She wanted to see Ruby first and then they, along with Mel would all sit down at the table together to talk things through. Angelo felt sick with nerves and he felt like a fool for messing up so badly. A few fun nights with Mel had hardly been worth him giving up his whole relationship. He and Charlie had been far from perfect together and he was still smarting over her lies about Ruby's conception, but he loved her and he wanted to be with her. All he could hope now was that they might be able to find a way forward. Together.<p>

* * *

><p>Mel enjoyed a lie in. It was hard being on her own. She hadn't really had to do very much for herself for a long time. But she'd taken the call in bed to say that Joey was coming over in the car with Charlie and that the four of them would have a discussion that afternoon. Mel couldn't help but look forward to it. Sparks were certainly going to fly. It was all quite exciting really. But she was confident that only one relationship would break. Joey was used to Mel's impulsive decisions and she loved her anyway. Charlie and Angelo might be over but she was sure that she and Joey would last forever.<p>

* * *

><p>Aden had packed up all the cats' things and now he was trying to put them in their carrier to take them over to his apartment until Joey told him they could make the move to the Bay. He'd managed to corner them in the spare bedroom and Indie, being the dumbest of the two of them, had gone into the box relatively easily at first. But Ruby was impossibly stubborn. And every time he got one of them in the box, the other one seemed to wriggle out. He'd had them both inside it at least five times each but now they were staking out different corners of the room and glaring. Indi had attempted to hiss but it had come out as more of a whisper. And Ruby was busy wailing and trying to make him feel sorry for her.<p>

* * *

><p>The driver pulled up outside Charlie's house. The police officer was surprised by how much relief flooded her to be back home. Leaning across the seat, she kissed Joey tenderly goodbye. Gazing into her eyes for a moment, she smiled lovingly and cupped her face.<p>

"I'll let you know as soon as you can come in," she promised.

Joey nodded, kissed her one more time and watched her head inside to be with her daughter.

* * *

><p><em>Next time… Ruby tells Charlie about Angelo and Mel and Charlie admits to Ruby that she has fallen in love with Joey…<em>


	30. Chapter 30

_Tomorrow's update might be late as I have an appointment but I'll get to it as soon as I can. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Thirty**

_Still Nine Weeks Ago..._

Forgetting all about the cameras, Charlie rushed into the house and found Ruby sitting anxiously on the sofa, clearly waiting for her.

"Ruby!" she said.

"Mum!"

Ruby couldn't help but smile as she flung herself into her mother's arms, holding on for all she was worth. Tears surprised her as she buried her face against Charlie's shoulder, squeezing her so tightly that neither of them could breathe properly.

"Please don't ever leave me again," Ruby begged.

Charlie felt the sting of her own tears. She clutched Ruby even tighter, kissing the top of her head and promising that she wouldn't.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "I never meant to upset you."

"You haven't," Ruby assured her, reluctantly drawing away.

They sat down on the sofa together. Charlie immediately asked her what had happened to get her so upset. Ruby sighed heavily. She didn't want to say the words. She didn't want to see the look of sadness on her Mum's face as she got hurt in yet another relationship.

"I didn't get on with Mel," she began.

Charlie nodded.

"Once Joey told me about her, I didn't think you would," she admitted. "I should have left then. I was worried about you and missing you but they kept saying you were fine so I..."

She sighed and apologised again.

"None of this is your fault," Ruby told her firmly.

Charlie smiled, grateful for her daughter's unwavering support.

"But um... well, I didn't like her but um... uh... Angelo did."

Ruby swallowed and wiped her eyes as she hoped her Mum would get what she was saying without either of them having to be too blunt about it. Charlie was confused for a moment as she turned Ruby's words over in her mind. Then she realised.

* * *

><p>In the car, Joey fidgeted. She was worried about Charlie and she was terrified of her changing her mind at the last minute. Ruby was quite rightly the most important person in Charlie's world. Joey knew that if she and Ruby didn't get along then she was out. She could potentially have screwed up her relationship with Mel for nothing. <em>No<em>, she told herself. _Charlie aside, you needed a wake up call. You needed to get rid of her_. She pulled her phone out in order to ring Aden for one of those pep talks he was so good at.

* * *

><p>"I found them in bed together," Ruby explained unhappily. "I am so sorry."<p>

Charlie pulled her into a hug. Images of Angelo and then of Joey flashed through her brain. She had no idea what to say next.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," she said gently.

"Me? Mum, it's you who got cheated on. You're the one I feel so bad for. But I kicked him out of the house and I gave him a few choice words and then... then I called an end to the swap. Did I do the right thing?"

Charlie nodded, hugging her tighter.

"I'm very proud of you," she said. "And very touched by the way you defended my honour."

"Angelo never deserved you," Ruby said sadly. "I wish we didn't have to find out this way but..."

She sighed, resting against her mother.

"Ruby, I have to tell you something," Charlie said awkwardly.

Ruby pulled away and looked at her, devoting her full attention to whatever she had to say.

"And now I'm terrified that you're going to be disappointed in me..."

"I find that unlikely," Ruby said. "Well, unless you chea..."

She frowned.

"Did you hook up with someone while you were away?" she asked in horror.

"Not exactly," Charlie said. "I mean, sort of. No. But yes. I..."

Ruby looked upset and felt like a fool for defending her mother so much.

"I'm really sorry," Charlie said.

She hated the look of disappointment in her daughter's eyes and now she was very scared that Ruby wouldn't warm to Joey.

"Why don't you tell me everything?" Ruby finally suggested.

"When I met Joey..." Charlie began.

"Joey?" Ruby squeaked. "Mel's Joey?"

Charlie nodded.

"There was just this connection between us," she said.

"So while Angelo was sleeping with Mel, you were sleeping with Joey?" Ruby accused. "This is messed up."

"I didn't sleep with her," Charlie told her firmly.

Ruby eyed herself a little suspiciously.

"You didn't?"

"No. But I did kiss her. And I did fall in love with her."

Ruby raised her eyebrows in shock and her mouth fell open.

"You fell in love with her?" she asked. "But you've never fallen in love with anyone."

Charlie nodded. That much was true. She'd had 'loving feelings' for people and she'd loved others platonically. She'd liked guys and girls a lot but she'd never actually fallen in love. For the longest time, she'd thought there was something very wrong with her. And then Joey had come into her life.

"So, what happens now?" Ruby asked, mellowing a little.

"Well, Joey's outside," she said. "We've all got to have a meeting to signify the end of the swap and I've got to break it to Angelo that I don't want to be with him anymore. Which, granted, is a hell of a lot easier now."

She managed a smile. Ruby smiled back.

"So, this Joey..." the littlest Buckton said. "She's really that nice?"

"She's amazing," Charlie swooned.

It was enough to make Ruby laugh.

"Well, do I have time to meet her before you have the meeting? During which, you have to kick Angelo's arse, by the way."

"Language," Charlie warned, although she didn't really mind on this occasion.

Ruby just grinned and looked as innocent as possible.

"So?" Ruby nudged. "Can I meet her?"

Charlie nodded. She hugged Ruby one more time and then, without hesitation, bounded outside to tell Joey it was time to meet her daughter.

* * *

><p><em>Next time… Joey meets Ruby and then finds out about Mel and Angelo…<em>


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty One**

_Still Nine Weeks Ago..._

"I'm really sorry," Joey said.

She'd phoned Aden to keep her company while she waited for Charlie. He'd been less than impressed by the level of scratches on his arms after having to extract the cats from the house.

"I'm sure they didn't mean it," she added brightly.

"Ruby chewed my finger!" Aden sulked.

"She bit you?" Joey asked in surprise.

"Sort of," he said. "She was more trying to make me release my hands from shutting the cage."

Joey laughed. Aden was unimpressed.

"They're really sorry," Joey said. "And so am I! And grateful! Let's not forget grateful!"

Aden smiled, despite himself.

"How are things going in Summer Bay?" he asked.

"I'm just waiting to meet Charlie's daughter," Joey told her.

She turned when the car door opened. Charlie smiled at her.

"Which is now!" Joey said in to the phone.

She said her goodbyes and then hurried out of the car, clutching Charlie's hand for all she was worth. She didn't think she'd ever been so nervous. Nothing had ever felt so important before. Joey was desperate for Ruby to like her. Charlie paused in the doorway as she felt Joey's grip get tighter.

"Are you changing your mind?" she worried.

Joey found the question adorable and quickly reassured her.

"I'm just worried that she won't like me," she admitted.

Charlie leant in and kissed her.

"How could she not like you?" she asked.

Tugging on her hand, she led the way into the lounge where Ruby was waiting. The teenager smiled and stood up to greet her Mum's new girlfriend. She felt shy as she stepped forward and shook her hand.

"Hi," she said cheerfully. "It's nice to meet you."

Joey smiled her relief.

"And you," she said. "Charlie hasn't stopped talking about you since we met."

"From what I heard, she's stopped for a bit," Ruby smirked.

Charlie blushed.

"Ruby!" she scolded.

Her daughter just poked her tongue out and the three of them sat down together.

"So, you and Mum are really going to make this official?" Ruby asked.

Joey glanced at Charlie, afraid of overstepping the mark and getting carried away. Charlie reached for her hand again.

"We are," Charlie confirmed.

"If... if that's okay with you?" Joey asked.

Ruby smiled.

"Well, I've heard a tonne of wonderful things about you so I think I can deal," she grinned.

Joey blushed. She wondered if Charlie had said anything or if Mel had paid her a compliment. The latter wasn't quite as likely but if she had, it made Joey feel a little guilty for abandoning her.

"Starting with the fact that my mother has never felt this way about anyone before," the teenager added.

Joey couldn't help but smile.

"I've never felt like this about anyone either," she admitted. "She kind of swept me off my feet. Although, I feel bad about... about Mel and Angelo."

"Don't," Charlie and Ruby said in unison.

Joey looked startled.

"Um... there's something I have to tell you," Charlie said awkwardly.

"They slept together, didn't they?" Joey asked immediately.

Charlie nodded.

"I am so sorry, Charlie," Joey said.

Charlie looked at her, wondering how she could possibly think that was her fault.

"I thought she would," Joey admitted. "And I agreed to the swap anyway. I knew what she was like. I'm sorry."

Charlie reached out and gently stroked her new partner's face.

"It's not your fault," she said. "You haven't done anything wrong. And... well, I'm glad anyway."

Joey looked surprised.

"If we hadn't done the swap, we might have gone a lifetime without knowing each other," Charlie told her. "And I don't think I could bear not to have you in my life."

Joey gazed lovingly at her and they got lost in each other's eyes. Ruby giggled. They blushed and looked immediately at her.

"This is seriously cute," Ruby told them.

She reached out and hugged Joey, welcoming her to the family with some exuberance. Joey was relieved to have been accepted so willingly by Charlie's daughter.

"I'm really happy for both of you."

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, Charlie, Joey and Ruby were having a nice time together. The women knew that they would soon need to head out and have what was likely to be a horrible meeting with Mel and Angelo. But for now, they were having a lovely time. Ruby and Joey were eager to get to know each other. Charlie was particularly enjoying herself. She was proud of her daughter for being so lovely and for welcoming Joey so willingly into her home. And she was falling more in love with Joey by the second. She'd already agreed to teach Ruby how to sail and her daughter had been particularly excited at the prospect of meeting Joey's cats, especially the one who shared her name.<p>

"I have a picture if you want to see them," Joey said.

Ruby grinned.

"Yes, I am sad. I carry pictures of my cats in my purse."

She pulled her wallet out of her back pocket and opened it up. Ruby grinned and looked at the photo, immediately exclaiming over how cute they were.

"So, will your friend be bringing them soon?" she asked.

"Yeah," Joey said. "As soon as I've figured out what to do next. You know, like finding a place to live and everything."

Charlie looked up sharply. She opened her mouth a few times. Joey watched her.

"Don't worry," she said with the hint of a smile. "I'm not expecting to move in or anything."

"Well, um, maybe until you've found a place, you could," Charlie ventured.

"Are you sure?" Joey asked.

She didn't want to impose on Charlie and her daughter or rush things. But life with Charlie back at her own house had been perfect. Right now, she felt like everything about Charlie was perfect and she was keen to spend as much time with her as possible. Charlie nodded and then glanced at Ruby.

"If you agree?" she said, hoping her daughter wouldn't mind.

"Fine with me," Ruby said. "The cats too!"

She grinned. Joey smiled back.

"Are you guys okay to get going?" Sophie asked anxiously.

"Ready as we'll ever be," Charlie replied.

* * *

><p><em>Next time… Charlie and Joey prepare to face Angelo and Mel…<em>


	32. Chapter 32

_And another extra! Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Thirty Two**

_Still Nine Weeks Ago..._

Leaving Ruby at home, Charlie and Joey sat together in the back of the car. With the cameras trained on both of them, they held hands.

"How are you both feeling?" Sophie asked, eager to get their perspective on things before they met with Angelo and Mel.

They had had some pretty spectacular episodes but this was definitely going to be the best and most provocative. Charlie and Joey glanced nervously at one another.

"I'm worried," Joey admitted. "I know being with Charlie is the right thing but I'm really not looking forward to facing Mel. She's not exactly the easiest person to reject."

Charlie looked concerned. Joey noticed and squeezed her hand.

"I'm still going through with it," she assured her.

Charlie smiled. They shared the briefest of kisses.

"How about you, Charlie?" Sophie asked from the passenger seat.

"I'm not looking forward to seeing Angelo," she said. "I'm not sure I'll be able to stop myself from kicking him where it hurts. And I know I'm being hypocritical but right now I can't help it."

She grinned.

* * *

><p>Angelo's driver pulled into the car park of the community centre the production company had hired in order for the couples to have 'the talk' with each other. The police officer's palms were sweating and his heart pounded too hard in his chest. He longed to see Charlie but he was also very scared. He was certain that he would lose her forever now and he could hardly bear the look he expected to see on her face. For all his misdeeds with Mel, he loved Charlie and he wanted to spend his life with her. All he could hope was that eventually, the dust would settle and they could move on – together.<p>

* * *

><p>Mel was feeling mostly confident when her driver pulled into the car park. The meeting was unlikely to go well but she was sure that would only really affect Charlie and Angelo. If Joey had got to like Charlie then she might be upset that Mel had temporarily borrowed her boyfriend but otherwise, she knew she would easily forgive and forget. She always did. That was what was so great about them.<p>

* * *

><p>"Okay, we need to film you seeing Angelo again, Charlie," Sophie said a little anxiously. "And you and Mel seeing each other again, Joey. Is that okay?"<p>

"Not really," Charlie said flatly. "This whole thing is a mess. You've been humiliating all of us. Filming Angelo fucking Mel and Joey and I falling in love and nobody knowing a thing about any of it except poor Ruby."

"Honestly, Charlie, that's not what we meant to do," Sophie said.

She had wondered when her cast were going to turn on her and was surprised that it had taken so long.

"And it's not really our fault the four of you have..."

She trailed off as Charlie glared at her.

"Charlie, she's right," Joey said gently. "They were just doing their job and filming us all. And I hate what Angelo has done to you but it kind of works out pretty well for me!"

She smiled so sweetly that Charlie couldn't help but laugh.

"I guess," she said, leaning in to kiss her.

She no longer cared how Angelo would feel when the time came to watch the programme.

"Are we okay?" Sophie asked.

Charlie and Joey both nodded.

"Good," the producer said. "Now, we need to choreograph your reunions. Who wants to go first?"

* * *

><p>Five minutes later, Joey remained in the car while Charlie climbed out in order to face Angelo again. Bracing herself, the police officer stood in the car park. She spotted Angelo a few feet away, holding a sad looking bunch of flowers. He looked extremely anxious as he approached her, clearly unsure of what kind of reception he'd get.<p>

"Hi," Charlie said stiffly.

Part of her was hurt by his betrayal but that made her feel like a hypocrite. She might not have slept with Joey, she might have had enough respect for Angelo than that. But she had fallen in love with her. In some ways, she wondered if that was worse. Angelo was a highly sexed man. It had been a problem in their relationship for a while. Looking back, Charlie was extremely aware of how incompatible they had been in the bedroom department, and in every other area. It was almost a relief to know that he had cheated on her. At least she didn't feel like the only person who had broken their relationship.

"Hi," he replied, gingerly leaning forward to hug her.

She didn't let him so he offered her the flowers instead.

"Ruby told me what happened," she said, awkwardly taking them from him.

"Charlie, I am so sorry," he said immediately. "It didn't mean anything, I swear. I'm so, so sorry."

He reached out to her but she was adamant that she didn't want to be touched.

"It's okay," she said quietly.

He looked stunned.

"We'll talk about it at the table."

"At the table?" he asked. "Isn't that a little... public?"

"Have you not noticed the cameras?" Charlie remarked.

"You know what I mean," Angelo said defensively.

"I'd rather talk about it inside," Charlie told him.

He nodded unhappily. The turned and headed inside, led by the film crew.

* * *

><p>Outside, Mel and Joey approached each other. Elated to have her partner back, Mel flung herself into Joey's arms, declaring that she'd missed her. She pulled back when she realised her partner wasn't hugging her back.<p>

"What's wrong?" Mel asked worriedly.

Joey didn't think she'd ever seen her look insecure before.

"Joey? Didn't you miss me?"

"No," Joey replied, sounding cold.

Mel looked upset. Joey forced herself not to give in and feel compassion for her. She reminded herself very firmly that Mel was a woman who had hurt her time and again. She'd cheated and taken advantage. And worse than that, she had encouraged Angelo to hurt Charlie. She could get over anything directed at herself but she loved Charlie and she wanted to do anything she could to protect her.

"What are you talking about?" Mel wondered, trying to read Joey's empty expression.

"Let's go inside," Joey said, leading the way.

* * *

><p><em>Next time… Charlie, Joey, Angelo and Mel all face each other at last…<em>


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty Three**

_Still Nine Weeks Ago..._

Charlie and Joey sat opposite each other at a small table with their partners beside them and the film crew all around. Awkward silence filled the room. Charlie gazed at Joey, trying to find the strength to speak.

"I hear you slept with my boyfriend," she finally said to Mel who merely shrugged.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Joey asked.

"It was just sex," Mel told her. "No big deal."

She was still stumped as to what Joey's problem was. It was like she had turned into a different person.

"Charlie, I am so sorry," Angelo said again. "I swear it didn't mean anything. It really was just sex. I didn't..."

"Are you some kind of addict or something?" Charlie asked. "Couldn't go a couple of weeks without it?"

"I've got plenty of weeks without it," Angelo snapped.

He immediately felt guilty and apologised but Charlie looked away. She met Joey's gaze again, comforted by her presence and the silent strength she offered her.

"Anyway, we wanted to tell you how _our _swap went," Joey said, taking the lead.

All eyes turned to her. She glanced at Charlie, to make sure she really wanted her to do this. Charlie nodded.

"It was amazing," Joey said.

"Well I figured you were having a good time," Angelo said bitterly. "You ignored me when I said I wanted to end the swap. If you'd have agreed, Mel and I would never have..."

"How many times are you going to blame me for you sleeping with her behind my back, exactly?" Charlie asked bitterly.

Angelo sighed heavily.

"But for the record, we did have a good time," Charlie said. "We had as good a time as you did."

Angelo opened his mouth to respond but found he had no words. His mouth closed and then opened again a few times. He and Mel both stared as Charlie and Joey reached across the table and held hands.

"You fucked her?" Angelo demanded. "After the hard time you gave me? You fucked her?"

"No!" Charlie replied angrily. "Nothing happened. But it will."

"You're not actually serious?" Mel exclaimed, looking as horrified as Angelo did. "You're leaving me for _that_?"

"Hey!" Joey and Angelo snapped in unison, eager to defend Charlie.

"This is ridiculous," Mel said. "What the hell have you done to Joey? She's not the same person I left."

She aimed her question at Charlie as she glared at her.

"Yeah, the person who let you walk all over her," Joey said unhappily. "You've treated me like a slave. You've taken advantage of me at every turn..."

"I thought you always enjoyed that," Mel smirked.

"And you've slept with more people than I can even imagine – _while_ you've been with me! So, yeah, I have changed. Charlie has shown me how good life can be, what it feels like to actually be loved."

"Loved?" Mel spat. "Are you kidding me?"

"No, I'm not," Joey said reasonably. "We held off on being together because neither of us wanted to hurt you. Turns out that that was a waste of time. But yes, we fell in love and we're going to be together now."

"Good luck having a relationship across the country!" Angelo remarked.

"Joey's moving here," Charlie said.

"What?" Mel screeched. "You're moving here?"

Joey nodded and explained that she was selling the house and moving the business, along with Aden and the cats down to Summer Bay.

"What about me?" Mel asked.

"What about you?" Joey said.

"Where am I meant to live?"

"You're meant to find a place of your own, stand on your own two feet and stop treating the world like it owes you something," Joey told her firmly.

Mel sank back in her chair, feeling sick. She'd got used to having Joey in her life. She liked her. She loved her. She didn't want her to go away and leave her all alone.

"And what about me?" Angelo asked quietly.

"I want you to move out," Charlie told him.

"So you can move _her _in?" he asked.

Charlie nodded, still clutching Joey's hand.

"How could you do this to me?" Angelo asked.

"I'm not the only one to blame."

"Charlie, you're not thinking straight," he said.

Mel snorted at the accidental pun. Angelo glared at her.

"I don't understand what's going on here," he said, aiming his statement at his now ex-girlfriend. "How could you have fallen in love with some girl in a week?"

"I'm sorry," Charlie said. "I couldn't help it."

Angelo turned to Joey. Looking her up and down, he had to admit that she was striking. However, he was sure that she could never match up to the kind of partner he could be. He glanced back at Charlie with disdain. Then he turned back to Joey.

"You have no idea what you're letting yourself into with this bitch," he said darkly.

Charlie squeezed Joey's hand.

"What did you just call her?" Joey demanded.

"She's a bitch," Angelo repeated. "And you're making a mistake by being with her. She's a nightmare!"

"No, she isn't."

"You've spent a few days with her! I've endured years!"

"If I was that damn terrible why the hell did you stay with me?" Charlie demanded.

She dropped Joey's hand for fear of breaking it.

"I felt sorry for you," Angelo lied bitterly.

Joey leapt up angrily. Mel smirked.

"Wow, you really have grown a backbone," she remarked. "I didn't know you had it in you."

Joey looked down at her with contempt.

"When there's someone worth protecting and standing up for, I'll do it happily," she told her.

Charlie managed a smile. Angelo got to his feet, not wanting Joey to be looking down on him.

"I give you two a week before you fall apart," he snarled.

"How long we last has got nothing to do with you," Joey said. "All I know is that I love Charlie and I want to spend my life making her happy. For as long as she'll let me."

"Yeah, we all start out with good intentions with Charlie but nobody ever gets anywhere," Angelo argued. "She's obsessed with her daughter..."

"There's nothing wrong with being a good mother!" Joey snapped.

"I never said she was a good mother," Angelo said.

Charlie stood up too. Mel sat back, enjoying what she could of the argument. If she was going to lose Joey then she wasn't going to lose her dignity too.

"How dare you?" Charlie demanded. "I am a good mother."

Everyone heard the quiver in her voice. Joey gazed lovingly at her, hoping to convey reassurance. Charlie managed a smile.

"She's a liar," Angelo continued. "She's crap in bed. She plays her cards so close to her chest that even she doesn't know what they are. And from what I discovered this week, she's damaged goods."

Charlie sat back in her chair. Mel smirked. Joey's eyes burned into Angelo's.

"I think this meeting is over," she said.

"Has loved up, darling Charlie been as honest with you as she was with me?" Angelo said.

Charlie closed her eyes.

"Ruby was the product of rape," Angelo informed Joey.

Keeping her eyes closed, Charlie felt like the world was ending. That was something she wanted to tell Joey in her own time. And it was something she had never shared with Angelo. Joey reached out gently and took Charlie's hand.

"Let's go," she said gently.

Nodding and feeling a little shaky, Charlie got to her feet, relieved that at least she had one person she could fully rely on.

* * *

><p><em>Next time… one month later, the film crew arrive to see how everyone is after the swap…<em>


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty Four**

_One month later..._

Charlie and Joey woke up in their leisure on Saturday morning. They'd now been officially dating for just over a month and things were going well. She'd moved into Charlie and Ruby's house and was still giddy at the mere idea of spending time with her partner. They seemed to talk about everything. Charlie had elaborated on Angelo's announcement during their meeting. And she was surprised to feel better to have unburdened herself. Joey had been perfect and understanding. Joey and Ruby got on particularly well and it was the first time that a partner of Charlie's had been fully included in the mother-daughter relationship. They were so far working well as a family unit and all three of them were happy about it.

Today, they were expecting the film crew to come back around in order to film them and see how life was a month on from the end of the swap. Joey had sold her house and after some legal battles, Mel had been evicted on the grounds that she had never paid a penny in rent. Joey didn't know where she was living now but she supposed she'd find out when they watched the programme in a few weeks time. Apparently she had been so laid back in the meet because she hadn't believed that Joey was really leaving her. Joey just hoped the truth had finally sunk in now.

She and Charlie had gone to collect all of Joey's things and the cats, who Ruby was particularly in love with. Charlie hadn't realised until now that her home had been missing animals. Now it was as if Ruby and Indigo had always been there and she not so secretly enjoyed coming home to them. Aden had joined them a week later with the boat and he and Joey were setting up their tour guide business round Summer Bay and the surrounding islands. Joey was still learning about the area but she'd had a lot of help from the town gossip, Colleen Smart and Summer Bay stalwart, Alf Stewart. She was happy to feel like she was fitting in. Even Aden had found a girlfriend, a local journalist and photographer called Belle.

"We should get up," Joey said, although she didn't sound very eager.

Charlie protested and wrapped her arms around Joey and pulled her closer. She kissed her bare back. Joey smiled and closed her eyes before rolling over and kissing Charlie's lips.

"In like a minute," Joey moaned.

"Only a minute?" Charlie teased.

Her hand slipped down beneath the blankets. Joey closed her eyes and surrendered to her girlfriend's touch. Whatever had happened between Charlie and Angelo, he had definitely been wrong in his accusations that Charlie was bad in bed. That was most definitely not Joey's experience. She had never been with anyone so beautiful and loving before. She was gentle and attentive and definitely the most amazing lover Joey had ever had.

"Take as long as you need," she said happily, as Charlie's fingers began to explore.

Charlie smiled and kissed her.

"I am yours for the taking," Joey added.

"Glad to hear it," said Charlie.

* * *

><p>At lunch time, with Charlie and Joey finally up and dressed, they waited around with Ruby for Sophie and the film crew to arrive. The girls presumed they would be filming with Angelo around the same time. He still lived in the Bay and Charlie was unhappily forced to see him at work on most days, although they were finally on a different shift pattern now. They overlapped for an hour a day and while Angelo had made a point of laying into her for a few weeks, now, they mostly ignored each other. The fact that Charlie was able to pull rank on him, helped keep his moods in check.<p>

Ruby stood up when there was a knock on the door and a few moments later, Sophie and the crew arrived, ready to see where they were at.

* * *

><p>Charlie and Joey sat side by side on the couch, holding hands and looking happy.<p>

"So, how are things for you after the swap?" Sophie asked, although the answer was abundantly clear.

"We're doing good," Charlie smiled. "I'm really happy."

She turned to Joey, worried for a moment.

"You're happy too, right?"

Joey laughed and kissed her cheek.

"Of course I'm happy."

She turned back to the camera, still smiling.

"I can officially say that participating on this show is the best thing I've ever done," she said honestly. "It's brought me the love of my life. I'm happier than I even thought could be possible. Thank you."

* * *

><p><em>Next time… everyone watches the final part of the show…<em>


	35. Chapter 35

_This is the penultimate chapter so I hope you enjoy it. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Thirty Five**

_Present Day_

Charlie, Joey, Ruby, Xavier, Aden, Ross and Morag continued to sit around the television watching the final part of the episode.

"It's only the second day of rule change but the swap has been called to an end. Charlie prepares to return home to her daughter and invites Joey to come with her."

They watched Charlie freak out over Ruby being upset and then the tender moment that had taken place in the bedroom before they'd left the house. Ruby cooed. Charlie cringed.

"Are we really that sappy?" she wondered.

"You're sappier," Ruby and Aden both said in unison.

Charlie looked horrified. Joey giggled and hugged her girlfriend tighter.

"It's nice," Ross piped up. "I've never seen you this happy with anyone before. Joey's good for you and you both deserve some joy in your lives."

Charlie gazed at her father, touched by the impassioned way he seemed to care. He'd always held onto reservations when it came to Charlie's choice of boyfriends or girlfriends, usually because she didn't often choose nice people. He liked girlfriends better as a general rule but until Joey, he hadn't been too fond of anyone.

"Thank you, Dad," Charlie said sincerely.

"Thank you," Joey agreed.

She was still trying to figure out what she ought to call him. Her instinct had been to call him Mr or Detective Buckton. He'd told her to call him Ross but that felt far too informal. He was a very important person after all. Ross and Morag smiled at both of them and the family continued to watch Charlie and Joey packing up and getting into the car while Angelo and Mel, in apparently separate hotel rooms, looked miserable.

"On arrival back in Summer Bay," the narrator said, "Charlie is eager to find out what has happened to her daughter."

Ruby and Charlie glanced anxiously at each other as they watched themselves have an emotional heart to heart. It had been heart wrenching the first time around without having to watch it again.

"And Charlie is eager to introduce her daughter to her new partner."

They watched Joey and Ruby's first meeting and it brought back happy memories. Ruby had known on sight that she would like Joey and she had been right. Privately, she admitted that she felt a tiny bit jealous when her Mum started dating someone new who took up all her time. But Charlie and Joey included her in pretty much everything and Ruby felt as comfortable with Joey as she did with her mother. Things couldn't be more perfect without Ruby having organised it all herself.

* * *

><p>Mel continued to frown and complain that she had been edited badly. Sam tried to be supportive, also feeling short changed. The last they had filmed of her had shown her flouncing out of the house. She should have known then that something was going on between Charlie and Joey. Everything seemed so clear in retrospect. She'd never thought much of Joey. She thought she was a weak pushover. However, since she'd started standing up for herself, Sam had decided that she didn't like her any better, especially considering she had turfed her and Mel out of their lovely house.<p>

* * *

><p>On screen, Charlie, Joey, Angelo and Mel were sitting down at the table. Angelo watched with some level of shame as he laid into Charlie. He waited unhappily for his announcement to Joey that Charlie was raped. Despite everything that had happened, he still felt sick about calling her damaged goods. He might have been hurt by the whole thing and by the fact that Charlie had never told him the truth about her past, but even he knew she hadn't deserved that. Sighing heavily, he watched the scenes play out, dreading the 'one month later' sequence where Charlie, Joey and Ruby were likely to be living in blissful joy. He'd gathered that much from seeing them around town and seeing Charlie at work. Bitterness rose within him like bile.<p>

* * *

><p>"One month later, Charlie, Joey and Ruby are living as a happy family," the narrator announced.<p>

The family watched as the programme displayed of their domestic bliss. Charlie and Joey, along with Ruby had fallen into a happy pattern of shared responsibility and Joey was surprised by just how easy it had been to let go. Her life with Charlie was a far cry from her life with Mel and Sam. Up until now, she hadn't known how easy it was to feel so happy. The girls blushed as they watched themselves being interviewed over just how great things were.

* * *

><p>Angelo grimaced as he watched Charlie and Joey gaze lovingly at each other. His own 'one month later' hadn't gone quite so well. He was living in a nice enough apartment but he was firmly alone. Summer Bay was a judgemental town and although the residents had been a little critical of Charlie going off with someone else, word had soon got round that she had at least for the most part, waited to break up with him first. Angelo had done no such thing and everyone was aware that if it hadn't all been on television, the chances were, he never would have confessed.<p>

* * *

><p>"Poor Angelo," Mel sighed, feeling a rare moment of compassion.<p>

"It's a shame you never stayed in touch with him," Sam said. "Maybe you and he could have..."

She raised her eyebrows. Mel shook her head.

"He was good for a quick roll in the hay," she said. "But he wasn't anything special. And he was boring as hell. Even when we were ripping each other's clothes off, he was quite obviously thinking about Charlie."

* * *

><p><em>Next time… it's the final chapter…<em>


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty Six**

_Present Day_

It was the end of a long night. _Wife Swap _had aired to the nation and now everyone knew their business. Ross and Morag said goodbye to their family and headed home for the night, glad that even if their family's dirty laundry had to be aired in public, some good had come out of it. Ross had never really been an Angelo fan. He'd never quite been able to place why but he thought he was a bad egg and didn't particularly want him hanging around his daughter. Joey, on the other hand, he thought was lovely. And Charlie was happier than she had ever been as an adult. It was a beautiful thing to witness.

* * *

><p>Mel turned the television off with a bitter taste in her mouth. She continued to rant about how badly she had been edited and dreaded to think what people would believe about her now. She hated Joey for walking out on her and she hated Charlie even more for being the one to steal her away. This television debut had certainly not gone to plan.<p>

* * *

><p>"Okay, guys, I'm going to head on home," Aden said, standing up and stretching.<p>

"Okay, Ade," Joey said. "See you bright and early for work tomorrow."

She grinned. Aden groaned, although they both knew how much they both enjoyed their work.

"Would you mind dropping Xave home?" Charlie asked, gathering up the mess from the drinks and snacks they'd enjoyed over the evening.

"Sure," Aden said.

Ruby pouted at her boyfriend having to leave. Charlie merely raised her eyebrows.

"We'll say goodbye at the door," Ruby said, taking Xavier's hand and dragging him off.

"You know, sometimes I worry that they can't control themselves," Charlie frowned.

Aden snorted.

"What?"

"Nothing!" Aden backtracked.

Charlie folded her arms expectantly.

"Well, it's just that you and Joey don't exactly find it each to leave each other alone either, Charlie," he smirked.

"Me and Joey are not sixteen," Charlie reminded him. "And we're not my daughter. My sixteen year old daughter losing all her faculties over a boy is not good!"

Joey stepped up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist, kissing her shoulder.

"She has a smart head on her shoulders," she assured her. "I don't think you need to start panicking yet."

Charlie turned and kissed her.

"Okay, that's my cue to leave," Aden said, heading towards the kitchen. "And say that you only proved my point!"

"Hey!" Charlie protested.

She and Joey arrived in the kitchen just as Ruby and Xavier pulled away from each other.

"Ready to jet?" Aden asked.

Xavier nodded, kissed Ruby one more time and the boys headed out. Ruby turned to her mother and Joey with a silly grin.

"Xavier is so awesome," she swooned.

* * *

><p>Angelo switched the television off and dropped the remote. He swigged his beer and pulled a blanket over him without bothering to get changed, brush his teeth or actually go to bed. Bitterly, he wondered what Charlie and Joey were up to. And he hated himself for letting his life unravel so drastically.<p>

* * *

><p>Having tidied up and made sure the cats had food and water for the night, Charlie and Joey headed to their bedroom together, shutting the door on the world.<p>

"It was kind of nice watching us fall in love on film," Joey said, standing in front of Charlie and holding her hands.

Charlie smiled and nodded. She inched closer and pulled Joey into her arms.

"It was," she said. "I feel bad if we hurt people but... I wouldn't give you up for anything."

Joey grinned and kissed Charlie tenderly. She stroked her face and hair, gazing into her eyes.

"I love you so much, Charlie," she whispered.

"I love you too," Charlie replied. "For everything in my life that I feel has been broken... you make me feel complete."

Joey hugged her, pulling her in for another kiss and nudging her back towards the bed.

* * *

><p><em>Well, thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this story. I hope you have enjoyed it. I actually wrote it ages ago and it's been sitting on the back burner for a good long while as I wasn't sure if people would take to it or not. So all your feedback is really appreciated. Love, IJKS xxx<em>


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